Acting Your Age
by Wordsplat
Summary: Soon after meeting, Kakashi and Iruka are worst enemies. Already sick of the fighting, Tsunade decides that until they stop acting like kids, they can look like kids too. But they're awfully cute...KakashixIruka
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The story takes place about three months after Iruka takes on the job of mission room worker and started teaching Naruto's class.

* * *

"So, Iruka…how're the brats?" A honey blonde nin with a senbon that twitched as he spoke asked.

"Why're you even here, Genma? You don't work here." The afore-mentioned Iruka complained, dropping his chin on the mission room desk he was working at.

"Because I know you enjoy my company, sensei." Genma winked.

"That's not the issue. The issue is Raidou's going to be back in about five minutes, and I doubt you'll want to be hanging around." Iruka glanced up without taking his chin off the desk, and caught the bandana'd mans scowl.

"He _will _forgive me. I know it." Genma decided, "I just need to figure out what I _did_."

"Good luck with that…" Iruka winced.

"Aw, damn. Which rumor did you hear?" Genma moaned.

"I didn't hear a _rumor_, per se…" Iruka shifted nervously, wishing he was a better liar.

"You got it from _Raidou_?" Genma grinned, and there was a slight poof of smoke as the Tokubetsu Jounin appeared in front of him and placed his hands on Iruka's desk. "Tell me all. Now."

"You couldn't have walked the five feet to my desk?" Iruka drawled boredly, but he wasn't really surprised; Jounins and their weird decisions hardly fazed him anymore, "It's really not my place to tell, Genma-san. Now if you'll please remove your hands from my desk…?" Iruka mumbled without picking his head up off his desk.

"Bullshit! C'mon, Ru, plea-"

"Don't call me that." Iruka glared up at the higher-leveled nin without hesitation, and the honey-blonde man quickly removed his hands from the desk and held them up in a sign of peace.

"Sorry, sorry. But c'mon…you know I'll die if I can't win Rai back soon…" Genma pleaded.

"Somehow, I think your libido will survive." Iruka rolled his eyes.

"Man, then you don't know me that well…" Genma snorted.

"It's only been two days." Iruka deadpanned.

"For that man-whore, it might as well have been two decades." A man with bandages over the bridge of his nose chuckled, appearing in the room with a poof of smoke and leaves. He took his seat at the desk next to Iruka with a quick, "Sorry I'm late."

"No problem. Everyone's out on missions anyway." Iruka shrugged, still refusing to take his head up off the desk. It was just too much effort.

"Kotetsu!" Genma scowled, crossing his arms as he returned to his place against the mission room wall.

"What? You know it's true." Kotetsu shrugged, then turned to Iruka, "Anyone yet?"

"Nope. But you know most of the D-ranks end at four, and I don't think any of the chunnin and Jounin on missions are due back yet." Iruka shrugged, glancing at the clock that indicated it was 3:47. Fifteen more minutes.

"Hmm. Anyone overdue then?" Kotetsu glanced at the scroll that listed the current missions assigned.

"Uh…yeah, one team. It's Yuuhi Kurenai…Sarutobi Asuma…Maito Gai…and…Hatake Kakashi? Yeah, I think that's it." Iruka listed with his eyes closed, trying to recall the details without looking at the scroll, "They're on what was supposed to be a three-month undercover mission, but they're about a week late now. Am I right?"

"As always." Kotetsu confirmed with a glance at the mission register, then realized something, "So you probably haven't met them yet, huh?"

"I don't recognize their names, no. I think I started a week or so after they left." Iruka agreed, "Feel like filling me in?"

"Sure. They're all regular-level Jounin, though they all have specialties. Kurenai's talent is genjutsu, Asuma's is strategy, Gai's is taijutsu, and Kakashi has a bloodline." Kotetsu explained.

"They're Jounin? Then what're their quirks?" Iruka asked. It was a standard question-there wasn't a Jounin in existence hadn't developed some sort of coping mechanism.

"Kurenai hides hers well…I'm not entirely sure what it is, seeing as I don't know her that well." Kotetsu contemplated, then continued, "Asuma's is obvious-he's never without a cigarette. And Gai's is…well, Gai. You really have to see it to believe it…"

Kotetsu sweat-dropped, and Genma winced. Iruka just laughed at their reaction.

"I'm sure it can't be that bad." Iruka chuckled. The two exchanged glances.

"Oh, it can." Genma confirmed.

"It most definitely can." Kotetsu agreed.

"It involves constant green spandex, loud proclamations about youth, creepy grins, and creepier eyebrows." Genma elaborated with a shudder.

"Wait…what about the other one? The Hatake guy?" Iruka asked, remembering that there was a fourth member to the team. Genma raised an eyebrow, and Kotetsu looked shocked.

"I thought you were kidding! You…you really don't know who Hatake Kakashi is?" Kotetsu exclaimed.

"No shit?" Genma's senbon twitched in shock, "You're a _teacher._"

"So?" Iruka tilted his head.

"He's a _legend. _Teacher's teach about legends, as far as I know." Genma shrugged, as if he couldn't be bothered to remember what he'd learned way back when.

"I haven't gotten to the battle history unit yet." Iruka shrugged, "So why's he a legend?"

"He's a child prodigy, with skill almost unheard of. He made chunnin at six, and Jounin at 13. That's only a year after most kids _graduate._ His dad was Hatake Sukumo, the White Fang. Surely you know about _him?_" Kotetsu pressed, and Iruka nodded.

"Of course…he's the nin that was rumored to be on par with the Sannin before he…fell from grace?" Iruka ended awkwardly, "I didn't know he had a kid."

"What, do you live under a rock? Yes, he had a kid. He's your age; how did you not know?" Genma asked in amazement. _Everyone _knew Kakashi. Well, knew about him, anyway. No one really _knew _the solitary nin, but…the point remained.

"Well, that explains it then. I _obviously _didn't make chunnin at six. He was way ahead of me-how would I have met him?" Iruka rolled his eyes at the others incredulous expressions.

"I suppose…" Kotetsu still looked suspicious, but dropped it, "Anyway, he's supposed to be even better than his father. He's yet to pass a genin team, refusing them all. I don't know if they're not good enough for him or what, but he's tried over ten different teams, one every year since he turned Jounin, and they've all failed."

"Naturally." Iruka rolled his eyes. Kotetsu raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Genius'. They think they're too good be bothered or held back by anyone else." Iruka rolled his eyes.

"Hey now…I wouldn't say that…" Kotetsu winced.

"Why not? I would." Iruka shrugged, "It's not that they're arrogant; though they usually are. It's that they understand things-jutsu, fights, abilities-not people. You know it's true. Uchiha Itachi-classic example of someone who didn't quite understand human emotions."

"That's not fair…that guy was _really _messed up." Kotetsu pointed out, but he didn't seem to completely disagree. However, a poof of smoke and the sound of the door opened stopped Iruka from proving his point further. The D-rank rush had arrived.

"Heya Iruka-sensei!"

"Iruka-sensei!"

"Guess what I did, Iruka-sensei?"

Children clamored around Iruka's desk as their Jounin sensei turned in the mission reports with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Iruka-san…they always get like this when you're on duty…they're usually more mature…" A rather large, red-headed nin approached his desk with a sheepish grin.

"No problem, Choza-san." Iruka smiled, "I don't mind seeing my old students. How're you all doing?"

"I took out a missing nin!" One boasted.

"That was just a rabbit, stupid!" Another whacked the first over the head.

"He _thought _it was a missing nin." A third giggled.

"That's cause he's an idiot." The second stuck her tongue out at the first, and the first responded by making a face.

"Heya, Choza. You're kids aren't getting any better either, huh?" A blonde nin grinned, swinging an arm over his friend as his own team rushed in.

"Hey Inoichi. They are…just not around Iruka-sensei…" Choza winced as he watched as both teams clambered over each other to get Iruka's attention. A third team burst through the door with just as much enthusiasm, and Inoichi and Choza turned to see their teammate and friend, Nara Shikaku, enter with a scowl.

"Thought I told you idiots not to rush Iruka-sensei this time…" The spiky-haired nin sighed, then joined his friends, muttering, "Troublesome genin…"

"Good to see you, Shikaku." Choza smiled, and Inoichi laughed at his friend's lack of enthusiasm about his team.

"Still getting accustomed to their energy, eh Skikaku?" Inoichi grinned.

"Damn troublesome brats, I tell ya…'specially when we turn in mission reports…" Shikaku turned his lazy gaze on Iruka, who was at this point practically swamped in children.

"The guy's a child magnet." Inoichi agreed, then turned to wave at the newest member to the crowd, "Hey Anko-san!"

Once the children finished chatting up Iruka, the original Ino-Shika-Cho team said their goodbyes and parted ways. However, the room was far from empty. Right as the D-rank rush ended, the regulars came by-Anko, Ibiki, Izumo, Raidou, Aoba, and assorted other chunnin and Jounin. The same group that came nearly every day, unless they had a mission. _Or got lives._ Iruka scowled.

Whether they simply had nothing better to do, or this was Konoha's only hangout, Iruka neither knew nor care. All he knew, was that the mission room seemed to be the most popular place in Konoha at the moment.

His line stretched a good ten people back, and Kotetsu's had about seven. Iruka was tired, and the crowd of nin that were just hanging around was beginning to wear on his nerves, but his shift was almost over. At least people were staying in line now, thanks to his earlier rant about dumbasses that were able to track and assassinate groups of missing nin without problem, but being unable to stay in a god damn line. Lucky for him, his temper was both well-known and feared-people tended to comply now when Iruka glared.

He glanced at the thousandth report of the day. He tended to give things a quick glance and move them along, but this had to be the worst report he'd ever seen. The writing was sloppy and almost unreadable, the report was splattered with mud and-quite possibly-blood, and the author had only been so eloquent as to write the following message:

_We got there. We did it. We came home._

Iruka grit his teeth. He really, _really _did not particularly want to cause a scene. The faster he got these people out of here, the faster he could go home. But his pride would not allow him to just pass the horrible report. He glanced up at the owner.

The man before him was a few inches taller than himself, with a shock of spiky silvery hair that stood on end, seemingly of its own accord. He was pale, and slightly intimidating in the way that powerful chakra seemed to emanate from him, though it was obvious he could control it should he choose. He had a slightly mysterious aura around him, helped in part by a mask that covered the lower part of his face, and the fact that his hitai-ate was slanted so that it hid his left eye. His right eye was a gorgeous, clear blue, and though it wasn't on Iruka, the sensei still felt drawn to watching it. Iruka had to admit that the man in front of him was handsome-beautiful even-but that was no excuse for turning in a crappy report.

"Denied." Iruka shook his head, and held the report out to the man, who didn't look up from his book. There was a moment of silence, as people seemed to quiet down. Had Iruka just rejected _his_ report?

"Please redo your report. I'll grant you overnight, but please turn it in first thing in the morning." Iruka continued, and held the report out to the silver-haired nin in front of him.

However, the nin refused to take it. He didn't even seem to acknowledge that Iruka existed; much less was there, speaking to him, trying to hand him something. Instead, he focused all his concentration on his book, not even bothering to glance up from the pages of that orange atrocity as he turned around to _leave. _Iruka gaped at the man's back for only a second before anger grabbed hold and he disappeared in a poof of smoke and leaves only to reappear an instant later in front of the nin. He didn't know who this idiot thought he was, or who he thought he was dealing with, but he was _not _getting away with it.

"Pay attention when someone's speaking to you." Iruka snapped, snatching the book from the nin's grasp.

Silence was immediate, and the only sounds were two clatters as Genma's ever-present senbon and the silver-haired man's teammate's cigarette hit the floor.

Incredulous and confused blue locked gazes with determined and furious brown.


	2. Chapter 2

Kakashi's hands were empty.

That was his first thought. His gaze was now on the floor, because his precious Icha Icha was no longer in his hands. How the hell had that happened? He rewinded the past few moment's events:

He'd returned to Konoha with Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai. They'd reported to the mission room as per usual. As per usual, they'd made Kakashi write the report, and he'd finished it earlier while they were on their way back. As per usual, he'd slid the report on the desk, and awaited the words: "Thank you for your work, Jounin-sama." Those words meant he could leave. He didn't even listen for them, not really. He just waited for a voice, then left. However, this time, something was not right. He'd heard a voice, he'd turned to leave, and…

And then his book had disappeared.

He looked up to see a very annoyed man in front of him. His mind helpfully supplied that the man was also absolutely gorgeous. He was tan, and probably about the same age as Kakashi himself, though he had an appearance that made him seem younger. He was about an inch or two shorter, and rather well-built. He had long brown hair pulled up into a high ponytail that seemed to almost bristle in anger, and a very distinctive scar across the bridge of his nose. What attracted Kakashi most, however, were his eyes.

A deep, hazel color with flecks of gold, the orbs were incredibly expressive. At the moment, they were lit up with annoyance and fierce determination, and they seemed to almost sparkle and burn like the fire they mimicked.

Kakashi's life was immersed in the world of the ninja-battle, death, pain, everyone was affected by it, and all the eyes he'd ever seen showed it. Most ninja's eyes were stoic and jaded, always hiding, always unwilling to show too much; an accurate representation of the person they belonged to. Emotion was supposed to be disregarded-traded for the ability to murder in cold blood and not be haunted by it later. It was the price of becoming a ninja; your very humanity.

Or so Kakashi had thought.

But those eyes said otherwise. Though furious at him, they still displayed everything, and hid nothing. This man was obviously a ninja-his hitai-ate and chunnin vest said as much. However, he neither remained composed nor calm as a ninja should, nor did he respect Kakashi's status above him. He was a wild card in Kakashi's predictable world; he acted like no one Kakashi had ever met.

"You have three seconds to give my book back." Kakashi threatened with a low growl.

He didn't know what the sudden feeling of warmth in his stomach was, but he ignored it. He couldn't allow this man to get away with this, no matter how beautiful or different he may be. People feared him; Kakashi liked it that way. It meant they left him alone.

"_You _have three seconds to take your report, and leave. Your report is by far worst I have ever seen, the novel you choose to read in public is atrocious, your ignoring me is indescribably rude, and your attitude is downright disrespectful. I will return _this_…" The man held his precious book pinched distastefully between two fingers, as if he couldn't believe he was holding it, "When you manage to write a decent report. Room 221 at the Academy-I expect your report on that desk tomorrow morning, no later than eight thirty am. I have class at nine, and if you _dare _interrupt me during that, then _this _little meeting will look like a mere slap on the wrist, understand?"

If Kakashi had previously been aware of the entire room staring in a state of shock that bordered on catatonic, he wasn't now. The whole room faded away as one person and one person only became clear-the man standing before him.

The man shoved the report into his hands, and on instinct, Kakashi took it. The man slapped something on his forehead, and when Kakashi blinked, he was outside the mission room.

What.

The.

Fuck.

~Return to Iruka's POV~

Iruka didn't make a sound as he stalked back over to his desk, yanked the chair out and abruptly sat down. No one dared breathe, much less move, and instead continued to stare at him in a mixture of terror, amazement, and pure awe. Iruka's eyes narrowed. He'd had all he could take.

"Form a line. Silently. My shift is over in two minutes, and anyone who doesn't turn in their report by that time is on D-rank missions until their _grandchildren _are Jounin." Iruka hissed.

Smoke filled the room as every nin in the room appeared in the straightest line they could form. The only sound in the room was the repeated thump of Iruka's stamp as he swiped their reports, stamped them, and returned them in one solid movement. The instant nin received their reports, they would disappear in a poof of smoke, eager to get away.

One minute left, and only one duo remained. The man on the right, a nin Iruka recognized as Morino Ibiki, spoke only two words, and even then seemed to wish he hadn't.

"Join Interrogation." The words were only slightly nervous, and Ibiki seemed to be steeling himself against any retaliation.

If it were anyone else speaking it would sound like they were slightly put-off. But Iruka knew Ibiki, and realized that for the impassive nin to sound like that, he must have absolutely terrified the group. Well, at least he got through to that idiot earlier…

"Thank you for the offer, Ibiki-sama, but I think I'll pass." Iruka smiled slightly as he stamped the Tokubetsu Jounin's mission report. Ibiki seemed to be happy to be alive.

"You should really consider it…I've never seen him like that…truly terrifying." Ibiki mused. Iruka waved him off.

"Eh, it was nothing." Iruka shrugged.

"Nothing? Yeah right! You're like so _totally _my hero!" The Tokubetsu Jounin's mission partner and friend, Mitarashi Anko, exclaimed as she hugged him across the desk.

Iruka's face flamed, and Ibiki frowned ever-so-slightly. However, Iruka, being extremely perceptive, noticed. He gave a slight smile; who knew Interrogations officers could have crushes? He politely removed Anko's hands from around his shoulders.

"It was really no big deal…no need for dramatics…I'd do the same to anyone." Iruka scratched his scar nervously, willing the blush on his cheeks to disappear. He really didn't want a jealous, generally sadistic Tokubetsu Jounin coming after him for making a move on his crush...however, his blush rudely refused to disappear.

"I know, but _Hatake Kakashi?_ I mean, he _so _had it coming, but…everyone's too scared to do anything about it…I mean, the guy's damn powerful…" Anko whispered covertly.

"That…_that_ was Kakashi?!" Iruka exclaimed, eyes wide.

Shock one: he'd just made the _worst _possible first impression on a powerful and respected nin.

Shock two: he'd just _intimidated _a powerful and respected nin.

Shock three: the rude bastard he'd met earlier was a powerful and respected nin.

Holy shit.

"You didn't _know? _You're kidding, right?" Anko's jaw hit the floor. Ibiki raised an eyebrow.

"That does explain why you did what you did without worrying about the consequences…and that might have been part of why he was surprised…a loner like him, having someone he doesn't know speak to him like that…" Ibiki mumbled, ever the analyst.

"You chewed out _Hatake Kakashi_…and you didn't even know it…" Anko murmured, then burst into a cheer, "MAN you're awesome!"

"I'd do the same to anyone…really. You come in here reading Icha Icha and try to ignore me, I'll get on your case too." Iruka shrugged it off.

"Really, sensei? Cause I wouldn't mind _you _on my case…" Anko grinned flirtatiously as she leaned over the desk. Iruka's face flared up again, this time a bright, fire-engine red. He leaned away instinctively from Anko as her face loomed a few inches from his, though the kunoichi didn't seem to notice. Ibiki flat out scowled now, and his eyes looked ready to burn Iruka alive.

"Anko, please…" Iruka mumbled, trying to widen the gap between their faces.

"'Anko, please'…why sensei, that's not very appropriate…" The kunoichi smirked suggestively, and Iruka's face got even redder, if that was anatomically possible.

"T-that's not what I m-meant!" Iruka stammered, hastily getting up out of his seat. Ibiki looked ready to kill him, "I, uh, myshiftsoverIhavetogonowbye!"

There a short silence after the sensei disappeared in a poof of smoke and leaves. Then, Anko burst into laughter, and Ibiki raised an eyebrow at his teammate.

"That was hilarious! I knew it!" Anko bent over with laughter.

"Do I even want to know…?" Ibiki shook his head.

"I know his type…I'm surprised you don't, Mr. Analytical." Anko poked Ibiki in the chest teasingly.

"Don't touch me." Ibiki scowled. Anko, of course, interpreted that as a 'Please, Anko, do continue, I'm very interested to hear what you have to say'.

"He's a tough one, and good with kids, but not with romance…betcha he thought I was really flirting with him…" Anko snickered. Ibiki's face took on a somewhat more relaxed look, though Anko didn't notice.

"Stop playing mind games with him Anko." Ibiki rolled his eyes, "He's the best mission room worker we've had so far, and he's the only nin I've ever met that's not traumatized in one way or another."

"What? You _jealous, _Ki-kun?" Anko flashed him a suggestive little half-smile.

"No." Ibiki snorted.

"Hah! You didn't deny it! It's official!" Anko cheered, pumping her fists into the air.

"What? I just said I wasn't, you crazy idiot." Ibiki rolled his eyes.

"Noooo…" Anko stuck out her tongue, "You didn't deny being called 'Ki-kun'! Now I can call you that whenever I want!"

"Don't you dare." Ibiki glared.

"Whatever you say, Ki-kun!" Anko chirped, taking off out the door.

"Don't call me that!" Ibiki called after her with a scowl. _Annoying girl._


	3. Chapter 3

_How?_

The question wouldn't leave Kakashi's mind. How had he done that? That one man had managed to mesmerize him with his eyes, surprise him enough to take his book, and confuse him enough to keep it.

And he didn't even know his name.

All he knew was that he had to put a decent report on the desk in Room 221 before 8:30 or face the consequences. To hell with that-he'd never been on time in life, and he didn't intend to start now. That guy had had one hell of a lucky shot to catch Kakashi off guard, but it wasn't going to happen again. Kakashi rolled over in his bed and cast a sideways glance at his clock.

5 am, huh? He wanted to make it to the memorial stone by 5:30…so he would head over to record's office now. He wanted to find out just who this guy was. For once, Kakashi had no intention of losing track of time, neither at the office, nor at the memorial stone. In fact, he had every intention of leaving the stone at exactly 11:30.

~.~.~.~.~

Iruka glanced up at the clock on the wall of his classroom in the Academy. 8:47? Hmm. He'd have thought the Jounin would be here pretty early, considering how badly Iruka had scared him yesterday…but then again, this was the ninja that thought himself important enough to be able to read porn in public, ignore people, and be chronically late. Well. If he had the gall to show up in the middle of Iruka's class, he'd put a stop to _that._

"Iruka-sensei?" A timid child with long pink hair and bright, emerald green eyes asked hesitantly.

The girl, Haruno Sakura, and the Hyuuga kids, Neji and Hinata, were the only ones to arrive early-everyone else showed up a moment or so before class. No one had the nerve to be late, after day one of seeing Iruka-sensei in action. However, that didn't mean they had to be _early. _They had some pride as kids, after all.

"Hmm?" Iruka's head lifted, the child's voice bringing him out of his thoughts, "Yes, Sakura?"

"Are you okay?" The nearly-twelve year old asked, "You seem…out of it."

"Ah, hai, Sakura-chan, I'm fine. I'm just thinking about a friend of mine." Iruka smiled. Inside, his mind screamed at the use of the word 'friend', _Overstatement of the century!_

~.~.~.~.~

"So, you see, if you manipulate your chakra like so, you can actually create a visible-" Iruka was in the middle of a lecture on chakra manipulation when the door to his classroom opened. He had been extending his chakra out of his hand, but he quickly stopped when the door opened. Instead, his hands clenched into fists as he glanced at the clock-11:32.

"Yo." A masked man offered a two-fingered salute as he stepped through the door, "So I hear your name is Umino Iruka. Dolphin, huh? Could a fooled me."

Iruka remained silent-but the fury written across his face was as obvious as any verbal lashing. His students paled; they'd been his students three months, but even they'd never seen that look. And they had _Naruto _in their class. This was _bad._

"So, I'm sure you want to know why I'm late. Y'see, I was-" Kakashi began when it became obvious that the man was not going to return the greeting/taunt.

"No. I'm don't." Iruka ground out. Kakashi blinked.

He…didn't? But people always heard out his excuses before accusing him of lying…this was unacceptable, but the man continued.

"I'm sure you don't have your report, either. Am I correct?" Iruka raised an eyebrow, and when Kakashi didn't answer, he smirked, "I suppose you'll receive the same punishment as everyone else then."

The class collectively gasped. They knew very well who Hatake Kakashi was. However, they also knew something Kakashi didn't: Iruka-sensei's punishment for not turning in a report.

"Sensei, you can't do that! He's a ninja!" Inuzuka Kiba spoke up.

"I very well can, and I very well will." Iruka told Kiba sternly. To Kakashi, he smirked, "I warned you."

"Punishment? Please. I'm a grown ninja-not only is the idea of _you_ punishing _me_ absurd, it's impossible. You couldn't touch me if you tried." Kakashi smirked back defiantly.

There was no reply from the sensei, only a rush of movement. Before Kakashi could blink, he felt a slight pressure behind him, between his shoulder blades. He moved forward with the blow and attempted to flip Iruka over his shoulder, but the sensei was gone. Still surprised that the sensei was _attacking _him, the sweeping kick Iruka sent in his direction managed to connect solidly with Kakashi's ankles, and he hit the floor. He rolled to the side before Iruka could make another move, but it was pointless, as Iruka was already there, and pressed two fingers to the side of Kakashi's neck. His vision was fading fast, and he collapsed to the floor.

"Idiot…" Iruka rolled his eyes, and he hauled Kakashi's limp body over his shoulder, "C'mon, guys. Outside."

The class followed hesitantly. They had no problems doing what they were about to do when they did it to their teammates…but a fully-grown nin…much less _the _Hatake Kakashi…it was understandable that they were nervous.

"No worries, class. I promise I won't let him hurt you. Besides, it's not you he'll be mad at." Iruka reassured them as he set about triple-knotting Kakashi's hands and feet with chakra wire before tying his feet to the branch of the tree outside his class.

Once the infamous Copy Nin was bound and hanging upside down from the tree, Iruka removed his vest, shirt, and pants. He debated with removing the mask and hitai-ate for a moment before deciding against it. There was something about it that screamed personal.

Because, of course, hanging a grown man upside down from a tree in only his boxers and mask isn't an invasion of personal space at all.

Iruka passed out the markers, and there were so many different colors that almost no child had the same one. Of course, Iruka also happened to have a special marker himself, and there was a reason he used this particular marker for his punishments…but Kakashi would learn that soon enough.

"Go ahead." Iruka set them loose.

By now, the kids had worked passed 'scared that the big ninja will kill me' stage, and gotten to the 'I get to write on a _real live ninja!_' stage, and took to the project of covering Kakashi's body with their scribblings with commendable enthusiasm.

~.~.~.~.~

Kakashi was a Jounin, and an ex-ANBU. That meant that he was trained to wake up silently; even his breathing and chakra levels remained normal as he woke up and took in his surroundings. However, when your last memory is of being beaten by the same chunnin that had stolen your book and completely mortified you in the mission room, you tend to forget your training.

"?!" Kakashi's single eye opened, taking in his surroundings with shock and surprise.

Iruka had pressed a finger to the back of his neck, effectively waking him up. The sight that greeted him was twenty pre-genin grinning and proudly holding up markers, along with a mischievous chunnin balancing a marker of his own on one finger with a challenging grin.

Suddenly, he felt a draft.

Blinking, Kakashi glanced down (er, up, from his position in the tree) and realized, to his utter mortification, that the damn chunnin had _stripped _him. Down to his shuriken boxers!

Confusion hit him next, as he realized that the chunnin had left his mask on. _Everyone _wanted to know what was under his mask-whenever he went to the hospital, at least ten people tried to demask him. Genin and Jounin alike must have made at least a hundred attempts by now. They even had a betting pool going (they were under the mistaken assumption that he was clueless about it, and he had no inclination to tell them they were wrong).

"What. Did. You. Do." Kakashi's voice was low and dangerous, and anyone else would have yelped, untied the nin, and run like hell. Iruka, however, only smirked.

"It's called detention, Hatake."

"You can't give me detention!" Kakashi's protested, eyes wide. What was _wrong _with this guy?

"If your reflexes were slow enough that a little _chunnin_ was able to catch the Great Sharingan no Kakashi and hang him from a tree, then you deserve it anyway." Iruka reasoned simply.

"Why the _hell _am I not wearing any pants?" Kakashi asked, sudden realization dawning.

"To make it easier to draw on you." Iruka shrugged, as if it were obvious.

"To make it _what?_"

"For a supposed 'genius', you're a little slow on the uptake."

"It might help if I wasn't hanging from a tree, upside down, missing my clothes, and not DRAWN ON!" Kakashi yelled. The kids slunk behind Iruka, seeing as the nin was mad.

"I suppose that'll teach you not to interrupt my class then, ne?"

"This-this-this is ridiculous!" Kakashi sputtered.

"Have fun, Hatake." Iruka waved, and turned to leave, "C'mon kids, back to class."

"You're not going to _leave _me here!" Kakashi yelped, seeing the sensei's back turn.

"The way to get down is written on the rope."

"_What?_"

"I used a special marker. I use it for everyone who interrupts my class. The kids get to draw on you, and I can write whatever I want. It's infused with chakra, so my writings won't go away until you make them true. And when you make the writings on the rope go away, the rope will disappear as well and you'll be free. The markers the kids used, however, will wash out…in a day or so." Iruka grinned evilly.

Kakashi was all set to yell again, but he was too stunned to react. The sensei disappeared inside with the kids, and Kakashi was left to try and bend so that he could read his rope.

"_Twenty different nin have seen me." _Kakashi groaned, realizing that he might be up here a very long time unless he called attention to himself, which his pride would not allow. However, the second condition was even worse:

"_I tell the Hokage that I'm a rude, perverted moron who couldn't be polite if his life depended on it."_

Well, shit.

The guy was creative, Kakashi'd give him that.

~.~.~.~.~

About three hours later, the academy bell rang, signaling the end of school. Iruka glanced out the door, and realized Kakashi was gone. The kids, disappointed that he was gone and scared that he was after them, were quick to disappear as well. Once the kids were gone, Iruka crossed him arms and grinned.

"Should you undo the genjutsu, or should I?"

"…fuck. Kai." Kakashi cursed then released the jutsu, and he shimmered into view, still upside down.

"If you want to be free any time soon, you might want to consider drawing attention to yourself." Iruka suggested, "You need twenty nin and Tsunade, and not a lot of people pass by a tree in the back of the academy."

"…" Kakashi glared, but his curiosity was overwhelming, "How did you _do _that?"

"Hmm? Do what?" Iruka asked, sitting on the bench next to the tree.

"You knocked me unconscious!"

"It's called a pressure point, dumbass. You of all people should know how that works, Mr. Sharingan no Kakashi."

"I know what a pressure point is! I meant…how'd you press _mine?_"

"So you're a higher level nin than me; that doesn't mean you're untouchable. Besides, levels are often only superficial." Iruka shrugged, obviously aware of something Kakashi wasn't, "I take it you looked at my file after I kicked you out of the mission office?"

"…might of." Kakashi scowled. This man shouldn't be able to read him like this.

"Did you steal it from the records office, or the Hokage's files?"

"…records." Kakashi grunted, unable to believe he was having this conversation, with a _teacher _no less. Weren't they supposed to discourage this kind of thing?

"Don't give me that look. You already did it; no point in reprimanding you now. Anyway, if you read the records office's file, then you wouldn't be aware that I've been offered a promotion to Jounin plenty of times." Iruka informed him nonchalantly. Kakashi's visible eye widened slightly at the thought of the teacher being offered Jounin status, but he kept the surprise out of his voice.

"…why didn't you accept?"

"That's really not any of your business." Iruka told him off-handedly.

"It's really not any of _your _business to steal my book, strip me, hang me from a tree, and _draw _on me!" Kakashi pointed out angrily.

"Semantics." Iruka waved Kakashi's anger off, "So, do you want me to help form a crowd, or are you going to continue to be stubborn?"

"I _want _you to let me down!"

"Crowd it is." Iruka chuckled.

~.~.~.~.~

"_What _does he have to say?"

"Do you think he'll say it?"

"Should someone cut him down before he kills us?"

"It's too bad; I kinda liked Iruka-sensei."

"Hey, don't talk about him like he's dead already!"

"He tied up _Hatake_. We might as well plan the damn funeral."

The crowd was larger than twenty people by a large margin, and Iruka sat on a rock below Kakashi, twirling a piece of Kakashi's fuzzy hair absent-mindedly as he and the nin conversed. To anyone else, they would appear to be friends chatting amicably, but in reality, they were far from chatting.

"You gonna tell her yet?" Iruka grinned.

"No! You might as well just let me down; I'm never telling her that! I'm a respected, high-level ninja, damnit!" Kakashi growled.

"You know, the sooner you say it, the sooner it'll be over."

"I'm _not _saying it!"

"They'll forget about this within a few days, I don't know what you're whining about. It's not that big a deal."

"If it's not a big deal, then let me down!"  
"But bringing an arrogant bastard like you down a few pegs sounds like so much more fun."

"You are _dead _as soon as I'm free."  
"Possibly. However, I think the things I wrote on you will keep you occupied for a few days at least. I think I can get a good head start by then, don't you?"

"Funny." Kakashi scowled, "What'd you write, anyway?"  
"That's for me to know, and you to make come true." Iruka winked.

"Oh, very clever." Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"So, brat, I hear you have something to say to me?" Tsunade made her way through the crowd until she stood in front of Kakashi. She couldn't keep the smirk off her face, and she couldn't help the snort of laughter when she saw his predicament.

"…you're enjoying this far too much." Kakashi glared.

"Eh. It's a break from the paperwork, ne? Something I much appreciate…Iruka, right?" Tsunade glanced at the sensei.

"Hai." Iruka nodded.

"I like your work, kid." Tsunade grinned, referring to Kakashi, "Hatake needed someone to mess with him. Brat needs to loosen up."

"…I'm right here, you old hag." Kakashi frowned.

Tsunade smacked him, and he spun around on the rope so fast that just watching him was making Iruka dizzy.

"I'm not that old, you ungrateful little-!" Tsunade growled to the still-spinning Kakashi.

"This would be a good time to tell her what you wanted to say, Kashi-kun." Iruka grinned as the nin slowed down. Kakashi looked at him in astonishment at the nickname for a moment before coming back to his senses.

"Keep dreaming, Ruka-_chan._" Kakashi huffed, and Iruka's eyes narrowed. He grabbed Kakashi's arm and spun him again.

"Don't call me that! Rude bastard." Iruka scowled.

"FINE, damnit!" Kakashi yelled, and Iruka grabbed him, effectively stopping his spin.

"Well?"

"You better start running." Kakashi growled at Iruka, before telling Tsunade under his breath, "I'm a rude, perverted moron who couldn't be polite if my life depended on it."

The rope disappeared, and Kakashi dropped to the ground. Being a Jounin and all, he naturally landed in a crouch. He stood, and shot an evil glare at the crowd.

"If you don't want to die, _leave._" Kakashi threatened, and the crowd, terrified for their lives if they stayed, dispersed. Only Iruka remained, and Kakashi sent him a cold glare, "What are _you _still doing here?"

"_Don't _interrupt my class again, got it?" Iruka glared right back.

"Maa…I'll do what I want." Kakashi rolled his eyes. He suddenly felt the need to defend himself, "You just caught me off-guard the first time, chunnin."

"You keep telling yourself that." Iruka twitched only slightly at the remark about ranks.

"Maybe I should teach you your place, chunnin." Kakashi frowned. Iruka twitched again, this time more violently.

"Maybe I should teach _you _that you can't just call people anything you like! I have a _name _you know!"

"I know; I just don't care…_chunnin._" Kakashi taunted. Next thing he knew he was flying.

The force of Iruka's punch nearly sent Kakashi crashing through the Academy wall; almost. It was _just _far away enough that he had time to get over his surprise and catch himself. Grabbing a tree branch, he swung back over to where Iruka was. He got into a fighting stance and drew three shuriken in each hand before sending them flying.

Iruka dodged them easily (he _was _a sensei after all) and bent low before diving forward recklessly. He collided with Kakashi, tackling the surprised nin and sending them sprawling to the ground. They rolled for a few moments before Iruka managed to knee Kakashi, then flip him over and pin the Jounin.

"Not half bad for a chunnin, ne?" Iruka smirked.

Had he known just what he had just started by pinning the Jounin, he probably never would have rejected the Kakashi's report in the first place.


	4. Chapter 4

Posted in the mission room, next to the rules of mission conduct and the poster on how to throw a kunai, is this list of rules:

Things Hatake Kakashi and Umino Iruka Are Not Allowed to Do:

Iruka is not allowed to enter Kakashi's property for any reason. No matter how funny the result may be.

'You didn't clarify _which _Iruka' is not an appropriate excuse. We all know who rule #1 referred to.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to enter Hatake Kakashi's property for any reason. Better? Now stay off his damn property before he chidori's you.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to chidori Umino Iruka. We don't care if we gave you the idea.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to do _any_ lasting damage to Umino Iruka. You're running up more hospital bills than the rest of the active nin on _real missions _combined.

Same goes for Umino Iruka to Hatake Kakashi. If we have to treat you idiots _one. More. Time…_

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tie up Hatake Kakashi.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to duck tape Hatake Kakashi. This is the same thing as rule #7, and you know it.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to incapacitate Hatake Kakashi in any way shape or form. We don't care if he deserves it.

If Umino Iruka _does _manage to get around rules #7-9, this does _not _give Hatake Kakashi permission to tell everyone that Umino Iruka is into 'bondage'.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to interrupt Umino Iruka's class.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to burn Hatake Kakashi's books to demonstrate why he should follow rule #11, as it generally results in panic and high-pitched screaming that doesn't really befit a high-level nin such as Hatake Kakashi.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to burn Hatake Kakashi's book for _any _reason.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to trip Umino Iruka, as the resulting yelling is loud, and the threats he can think up on the spot are quite disturbing.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to join Interrogation, no matter what Morino Ibiki says. We want to scare our captives, not traumatize them.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to tell Umino Iruka that they've been ordered to get married and make little Hatake babies just to watch the shade his face turns.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to bet on his own bet about how red he can make Umino Iruka's face. That's cheating.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to make any bets on anything involving Umino Iruka. Ever.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tell Academy students that Hatake Kakashi's hair is cotton candy.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to set Academy students on Hatake Kakashi.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to replace Hatake Kakashi's clothes with Gai's spandex. You shouldn't be on his property in the first place-refer to rule #3.

We don't care if Gai approved of Kakashi's wardrobe change.

We don't care if Gai offered to do it himself.

If it involves Gai, we don't care.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to replace Hatake Kakashi's shampoo with rainbow hair dye. _Again, _refer to rule #3.

We don't care if you got Anko to do it.

_No one _is allowed to enter Hatake Kakashi's property. He's paranoid enough as it is.

Hatake Kakashi, we know you are not an idiot. We have your I.Q. results. Would you care to explain why you thought using the _electric-based _chidori in the _water-filled _hot springs was a good idea?

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tell Academy students that they get automatic promotion to Jounin if they unmask Hatake Kakashi.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to throw Academy students at Umino Iruka.

Even if they attacked and tried to demask you.

'I was returning them' is not an appropriate excuse.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to tell Academy students that Umino Iruka is a missing nin in disguise. He has enough trouble controlling that class as it is.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tell Academy students that Hatake Kakashi is the 'designated kunai target'.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to tell Academy students that Umino Iruka is a demon lord trying to make them into a cult.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tell Academy students that Hatake Kakashi is helping out today, and the first person to find and tag him wins, as 30 pre-genin racing up to Kakashi and tagging him before giggling and running away greatly confuses him.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tell Academy students anything outside of the regular curriculum, and Hatake Kakashi is not to speak to Academy students. Period.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tell Hatake Kakashi that Icha Icha is banned. If he screams like that again, our ninja are going to go deaf. Are you trying to destroy the village?

Umino Iruka is not allowed to bet Hatake Kakashi that he can shave with his kunai.

If #39 _does _happen, Umino Iruka is not, under any circumstances, allowed to 'help'. We don't have enough blood stored up to keep him stable if something like that happens again.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to bet Hatake Kakashi anything.

The same goes for Hatake Kakashi to Umino Iruka.

We're all aware that we can't stop your fighting. However, you are to refrain from doing it near important areas. We _needed _that building.

'Marry Anko and produce prodigy babies' is not an appropriate mission, Iruka. Kakashi, why the hell are you still getting missions from him anyway? Do you _enjoy _being pummeled?

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to receive missions from Umino Iruka.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to set his ninken on Umino Iruka.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to 'divorce' his ninken because they like Iruka and refuse to attack him.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to change Hatake Kakashi's hitai-ate leaf symbol to the Icha Icha symbol.

We don't care if he likes it.

Hatake Kakashi and Umino Iruka are not allowed to be teamed together on a mission.

On second thought, Hatake Kakashi and Umino Iruka are not even allowed to be on missions where they might run into each other. Ever.

Hatake Kakashi and Umino Iruka are banned from Suna together. Separately, however, is fine.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tell Shiranui Genma that Hatake Kakashi challenged him to man-whore competition. The village therapist, however, thanks you for all the wonderful business that particular competition landed him.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to mix Fire-ball Jutsu and exploding tags in his attempts to beat Umino Iruka. You two have destroyed enough of the village as it is.

Umino Iruka. Hatake Kakashi. Explosives. Never again.

Hatake Kakashi and Umino Iruka are not allowed to consume alcohol again. Ever.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tell Maito Gai that Hatake Kakashi needs to have his 'flames of youth' lit. It took two hours to put out that fire.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to fake his own death on the mission room floor so that Umino Iruka's 'defenses will be lowered'. No one believed you anyway.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to fake his own death _anywhere._

Stop encouraging him, Iruka.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to replace the blunt weapons at the Academy with real ones. You're lucky Iruka's reflexes are as impressive as they are, or those would have taken his head off.

We know it was your goal. We just don't care.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to grope Umino Iruka. We're not paying for your surgery next time.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to tell Umino Iruka that, 'if life is a highway, and you're my life, does that mean I get to ride you all night long?' This is fatal. You're lucky we have the best medic in the five countries.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to use any pick-up lines on Umino Iruka. Ever. We are not reviving you next time, no matter how valuable you are to the village.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to glue Hatake Kakashi's ass to the bridge.

'So he'll be on time for once' is not an appropriate excuse. What is it with your excuses? They're almost as bad as Kakashi's.

Hatake Kakashi and Umino Iruka are not allowed to have an excuse contest.

We don't care if the Jounin cheered you on.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to tell Team Gai that they're substitutes when Umino Iruka is in the hospital (because of you, we might add!). It took Iruka _three weeks _to get them back to normal. Those kids are our future, Hatake!

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to tell people that Umino Iruka got his scar because he 'likes it rough'.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to toss Hatake Kakashi off the Hokage Monument.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to dunk Umino Iruka in the lake on the Academy field trip. You shouldn't have been anywhere near them anyway, Hatake!

Umino Iruka is not allowed to shave Pakkun.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to shave any of Hatake Kakashi's ninken.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to set Hatake Kakashi's ninken on fire.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to refer to Hatake Kakashi's summons as his 'pokemon'. They do not appreciate it. Do you not like summons, Iruka?

Of course they bit you, Iruka. They're dogs. They do not appreciate being shaved, set on fire, and called pokemon because you and their master have a feud.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to try and sell Umino Iruka to foreign nations.

We don't care if you won the last match, you don't own him.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to mess with the coffee machine in the Academy staff room. If you are able to procreate after what Iruka did to you, he would also like to tell you that you're banned from ever sending your children there.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to reveal the ending of Icha Icha to Hatake Kakashi.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to mess with anything involving Hatake Kakashi and his porn. We're sick of hearing his screams; they're highly disturbing.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to poke Umino Iruka. If he breaks your finger again, we're not resetting it.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to throw water balloons at Umino Iruka.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tell Mitarashi Anko that Hatake Kakashi wants to marry her and make prodigy babies.

We don't care if she agreed.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tell the ninja counsel that Hatake Kakashi and Mitarashi Anko should make prodigy babies. For some reason, they took you seriously. Hatake Kakashi does not appreciate this.

Umino Iruka is not to mention Hatake Kakashi, Mitarashi Anko, and babies in the same sentence.

Same goes for the word children.

Or offspring.

Or family.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to mention Hatake Kakashi and Mitarashi Anko in the same sentence. Period. If Morino Ibiki murders you in your sleep, Iruka, it's not our fault.

Missions are not suggestions, Hatake. Now get the hell out.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to mix mind-numbing drugs into Hatake Kakashi's soldier pills. He nearly died on that mission, Umino.

We _know _that was your goal. We don't care; don't do it again.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tell the Inuzuka's that Hatake Kakashi is abusing his dogs. He _needed _those dogs on his mission. Maybe they would have been able to sniff out the drugs _someone _mixed with his soldier pills.

'Making them kill people' is not summon abuse, Iruka. That's what they're _for._

The SPCA agrees with us, so stop calling.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to replace Umino Iruka's lesson plans with Icha Icha.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to draw on his mission reports.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to turn in porn as a mission report. Iruka is pissed enough at you as it is, stop antagonizing him.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to tell Academy students that the wooden practice kunai are actually secret weapons made to destroy vampires.

Especially after you tell them that Umino Iruka is a vampire. Actually, refer to rule #37; you shouldn't be talking to pre-genin at all, Kakashi.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to yell, 'Pikachu, I choose you!' when Hatake Kakashi uses his chidori.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to call Hatake Kakashi 'Pikachu', period.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tell Hatake Kakashi he does not exist. As funny as this may be, it freaks him out, especially if you get others in on it so that no one responds or reacts to him.

We don't care if the Jounin were happy to participate. We have already established that all Jounin are crazy; you don't need to give them ideas.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to draw a weird sign on Hatake Kakashi's shoulder while he's sleeping and tell everyone its Orochimaru's new curse seal.

We can't believe you believed him either, Kakashi.

Umino Iruka is not allowed to tell Hatake Kakashi that he can super-charge his chidori by standing on a lightning conductor when it's raining.

Why do you keep believing him, Hatake?

Umino Iruka, we know Kakashi's I.Q. Stop telling him his test came back negative. For some ungodly reason, he still seems to believe what you tell him.

Hatake Kakashi is not allowed to believe anything that Umino Iruka tells him.


	5. Chapter 5

Tsunade massaged her temples, reminding herself it was _not _Shizune's fault, and she should _not _kill the messenger.

"They broke _what_?" She ground out.

"The mission room wall. And most of the shops outside." Shizune rushed through the words, eager to get away. The now-infamous duo's fighting always put Tsunade in a particularly bad mood.

It had only been a week since they'd met, but already they were known throughout the village. Not to mention in Suna as well, thanks to Tsunade's attempts to get them to 'bond'. What an utter disaster _that _had been. They'd been sent on a simple, two-man mission to deliver a scroll to Suna, the only _real _reason for the mission being to put an end to their incessant fighting. Instead, they'd ended up tearing up the forest between Konoha and Suna, terrorizing Suna citizens with their loud, violent bickering, and nearly destroying the Kazekage Tower when Kakashi decided it'd be funny to whisper 'in my pants' in Iruka's ear after everything the Kazekage said.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"In my pants."

"We appreciate Konoha's expression of friendship."

"In my pants."

"You are always welcome."

"In my pants."

And that's when Iruka had chucked Kakashi out the Kazekage Tower window.

Needless to say, the street fight that followed resulted in a generous amount of damage, and Konoha had been forced to fork over the cash for repairs. Kakashi and Iruka had been banned from both _ever _being on the same team, as well as from going to Suna together for _any _reason.

Of course, those two new rules weren't the only bans on Kakashi and Iruka's behavior, not that they really paid any attention to the rules. Well, Iruka tried. Kakashi just had fun reading what new rules he was supposed to follow.

Not that actually obeyed them, of course.

"Alright. I'll get em in a minute..." Tsunade growled, pulling out a bottle of sake from her bottom drawer.

Shizune glanced at the sake bottle, and almost reprimanded Tsunade, then remembered that this was Kakashi and Iruka's third fight this week. And it was Monday. She wisely shut up and took her leave.

"Damn idiots…" Tsunade growled, popping the cork.

~.~.~.~.~

"YOU IDIOT!" Iruka yelled as his fist slammed into one Copy Nin's face. Kakashi went flying back into _another _shop. That was what…the third? Well, fourth overall damage, if you included the mission room wall Iruka had thrown him through.

"I'm not the one destroying street property!" Kakashi yelled back, and made to trip the man standing above him.

Iruka jumped at the last moment, and brought his foot down over Kakashi's head. Kakashi grabbed his ankle before it collided with his skull, and twisted it. Iruka turned it into a spin as not to break his ankle, and planted his hands on the ground. He yanked his foot from Kakashi's grip, and leapt away. Kakashi got up and didn't bother to brush himself off, instead going after his attacker.

"I'm not the one that goes around making nasty comments about others because I have no social life!" Iruka snapped.

Kakashi dove forward, kunai in hand. Iruka grabbed his wrist, and turned around, as if to pull Kakashi behind him, but Kakashi twisted the other way, effectively pulling away. He spun around, and made to hit Iruka in the back of his now exposed head. Iruka ducked, and as Kakashi flew forward with the momentum of his punch, Iruka pushed up, throwing Kakashi over his head. Kakashi somersaulted and landed on his feet.

"I'm not the over-emotional lame-ass excuse for a ninja!" Kakashi yelled, and before he could blink, Iruka disappeared. He suddenly felt a fist in his stomach, and he crashed into another cart (the fourth) before the pain hit him. It was that fast.

Iruka's speed always managed to surprise him.

To be honest, everything about the chunnin surprised Kakashi. He'd learned quickly that the chunnin was on par with himself, and this unnerved Kakashi greatly. _Fuck!_ Kakashi cussed as the pain of the punch caught up with his body. Strength-wise, Iruka could probably beat him if he tried; he had good chakra control, and was able to do the same type of punch as Tsunade and Sakura, though not quite as strong. So why the jokes about his rank? It was simple, really: they pissed Iruka off.

"I'm not the cold-blooded killer who's so fucked up in the head he can't even function in society!" Iruka shot back. The evident scowl on Iruka's face and the energy radiated from the man hit Kakashi like a slap in the face. The man was _hot._

_No he's not! He's a stupid chunnin with anger issues who doesn't know his place!_ Inner Kakashi snapped instantly, and he crouched down into a fighting stance.  
"I may be a killer, but I do it for my village! I can proudly say I put my life on the line for my village every day! What do _you _do?!" Kakashi yelled. Iruka's eyes narrowed into a glare.

"You don't do it for your village. You do it because it's all you know how to do. Kami, you don't even _know _your village! A village is made up of _people,_ dumbass! You don't know the people in the village, you don't risk your life for them! You just complete missions like some machine! It's all you were ever taught, so it's all you ever do! Kami, I can't believe I feel _sorry _for you, you bastard!" Iruka raged. Kakashi blinked. That was…new. Iruka had never insulted him like that. And it stung. It really stung.

Because it was true.

He knew it was true, and he knew that was about to come out of his mouth was the biggest load of crap, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't control himself. He wanted…Kami, he didn't even know what he wanted. A reaction? No…that wasn't quite it. More like…he wanted Iruka to see him, to pay attention to him. Kami, he _hated _Iruka. He didn't know why, he just knew that whenever he looked at the man, his stomach would knot, his heart rate would speed up, and he couldn't think straight, and all he could think about was Iruka, and what he could do to get the man to talk to him, to react to him. That had to be hate. What else could it be?

"At least I try! You do nothing! All you do is teach a bunch of snot-nosed brats how to throw a kunai! Like that's so hard, right?! You're the most pathetic excuse for a ninja I've ever met!" Kakashi yelled, frustrated with his lack of the ability to communicate himself. No matter what he said, he always felt like that wasn't it. That wasn't what he wanted to say, or what he meant.

Though no one knew, not even Kakashi himself, he was telling himself more than Iruka when he shouted, "I fucking hate you!"

Iruka looked like he'd been slapped.

Kakashi turned away, that feeling of hate-because it had to be hate…it had to be. There was no other explanation-burning away within him, stronger than ever before. When he looked back, it was Kakashi's turn to be surprised.

Iruka's eyes were wet.

For once in Kakashi's life, they weren't glaring, or narrowed in suspicion. They were hurt. They were burning with a pain Kakashi couldn't understand.

What had he done…

And why the hell did it hurt?

Because it did. It really did. It was like Kakashi couldn't breathe. It was a pain in his chest, like his chest was tightening up to where he couldn't even think. It just…hurt. It hurt worse than anything Kakashi had ever gone through, and he'd been through all kinds of torture, and uncountable near-death experiences.

But this was by far the worst thing he had ever experienced.

Not for the first time, Kakashi wanted to take it back. He wanted to say he was sorry, wanted to say he didn't mean it. But he did. Didn't he?

He hurt because Iruka hurt, Kakashi knew that. But why?! He _hated _Iruka! He did, he had to! What else could this feeling be? And if he hated Iruka, then shouldn't he be _happy_ that he'd hurt him? But he wasn't.

Kami he wasn't.

"Of course you do." Iruka had a ghostly smile on his face, and though the tears had yet to fall, Kakashi could still see them, still feel them. He knew they were there, and it was killing him.

Kakashi's own words rang in his head as the feeling in his chest clenched tighter.

_I fucking hate you!_

He knew Iruka hated him. Rejecting his report and taking his book proved it. Since then, Kakashi had always gone out of his way to find Iruka, to tease him, to turn in crumpled reports, anything he could to annoy Iruka in that way that made the chunnin's mouth dip into a scowl that made the feeling ever the more prominent. To annoy Iruka in a way that made Iruka scrunch his nose, wrinkling his scar, causing the feeling in the pit of Kakashi's stomach to jump. Because the feeling felt…nice. It's a weird thing to say, but it felt _good _to hate the chunnin.

Kakashi had never felt this way before. And he'd hated people before. Not many, true, for he wasn't one to hold a grudge, but he had. He'd hated killers who'd taken his precious people, traitors, the kyuubi. Not Naruto, of course, but he'd hated the kyuubi that had taken his sensei from him. But…this felt different. It felt good, and right, and so, so much stronger. It was like he _needed _to see Iruka, to talk to him.

To be honest, it felt different than any hate Kakashi had ever experienced. But he'd just assumed that that meant he hated Iruka more than anyone else. But…what if it was something else? But that didn't make sense. What else could it _be_?

"You hate me too!" It was the only thing Kakashi could think of to say. He hated Iruka. He did. So Iruka had to hate him back.

Otherwise…what the hell were they doing?

"THAT'S _IT!_" Someone screamed furiously.

Kakashi and Iruka whipped around to see Tsunade storming towards them, her chakra practically emanating from her body in a vicious fury.

"You're so fucking _dead!_ I'm sick of your fighting!" Tsunade raged.

"Sorry, Hokage-sama." Iruka winced, "It's my fault. I should have just ignored him."

"I'm right here!"

"Shut up, dumbass!" Iruka knocked Kakashi upside the head.

"Don't hit me, chunnin!" Kakashi glared, and lashed out. Iruka ducked and attempted to trip Kakashi, who just avoided it.

"Chunnin or not, I'm on par with you and you know it!" Iruka scowled, aiming a punch at the Copy Nin's face. He ducked, and managed to strike Iruka in the ribs. Iruka jumped back, reducing the pain of the blow.

"You are _not!_" Kakashi glared back.

Tsunade could only stare.

The two were so caught up with each other it was as if they didn't even remember she was here. This only enraged her further, which was, in retrospect, not a very good idea.

"Fine!" Tsunade growled, and Iruka and Kakashi froze. Her voice went icy, "If you two _morons _are going to act like children, then you can look it too, ne?"

Tsunade made rapid signs, and Kakashi and Iruka felt a sinking feeling in their stomach. When they faced each other, they couldn't hold back a gasp.

Iruka faced a small boy with fluffy silver hair. He still wore a mask, and his hitai-ate was slanted as always. He wore a blue shirt with white stripes, and blue shorts. A unique sword was on his back, secured by two crisscrossing white straps across his chest. He was…cute. _Really _cute, and the pout, visible underneath the mask, did nothing to lessen the effect.

Kakashi faced a lanky boy with a nondescript white t-shirt and shorts, and fishnet underneath. The kid was adorable; he had no hitai-ate, and his bangs fell in his eyes. He shook his head to get them out of his eyes, and his pineapple-like ponytail bristled. The kid still bore a scar across his nose, and it was wrinkled in confusion at the moment. That brought Kakashi back to reality; this was _Iruka. _He hated Iruka. Iruka's sharp hazel eyes widened as he met Kakashi's silver-blue one.

"You made us…_kids?_" Iruka exclaimed.

"You're twelve. As far as anyone knows, you're two orphans who're joining Akemi-sensei's class today. Your chakra's significantly reduced, and the most you could probably do is a substitution jutsu or a basic clone jutsu if you really tried." Tsunade told them formally.

"_What?_" Kakashi's jaw dropped.

"Wait, you really think no one will remember what we look like? Especially with my scar, and his mask?" Iruka raised an eyebrow.

"Part of the jutsu, kiddo. No one remembers you two except for me. Until you two can act like grown-ups, you're stuck as kids." Tsunade grinned, "At least this way the destruction will be limited."

"...how long have you been planning this?" Kakashi frowned. There was no way she thought that up on the spot.

"Few days." Tsunade smirked proudly.

"What do you mean, until we grow up? We're mature!" Iruka protested.

"Yeah!" Kakashi agreed.

"…" Tsunade suppressed a snicker, "Should I read you your 'do not' list? You don't sound very mature to me."

"…whatever. It was all his fault." Kakashi scowled.

"Nu-uh! You're the one that always calls me 'chunnin', and turns in crappy reports, and bothers me in class and-!"

"Well _you're _the one that pranked me, and kept setting Academy students on me, and told me that Orochimaru gave me a curse seal!"

"It's your own fault for believing me, stupid!"

"You're stupid!"  
"No, you are!"

"No, you are!"

"You're only proving my point, you know." Tsunade shook her head.

"But where're we going to live?" Iruka asked suddenly.

"Here. Apartment 20 in the Jounin district." Tsunade tossed them a key. When they gave her a strange look, she said, "What? You think I'd just let you keep destroying the village all you liked? I'm putting an end to this. I don't care how long it takes; you two are going to sort out your problems."  
"We don't need your help!" Kakashi scowled.

"Have you _seen _all the rules we've had to make? Yes, you do. Tomorrow you both report to room 221 for school, got it? I'll be checking."

"Room…221? That's my room!" Iruka exclaimed.

"Yeah." Tsunade nodded, "In this jutsu, you and Kakashi don't 'exist'. At least, your real, twenty-something selves don't. So, your apartments are occupied, your classroom is used by someone else, and no one remembers you. Well, except me, obviously."

"This is…crazy! You can't do this! Don't stick me in an apartment with _him!_" Iruka begged.

"Sorry kiddo." Tsunade shrugged before disappearing.

"…I'm _not _sharing an apartment with you." Iruka glared at Kakashi.

"Are you kidding? You think I want to share with _you?_ You'd probably just dye my hair again!" Kakashi clutched his hair protectively.

"I don't reuse pranks." Iruka clicked his tongue.

"What_ever_. You'd do _something _while I was asleep." Kakashi pouted.

"Duh." Iruka rolled his eyes, then changed the subject suddenly, "What're we gonna do about school?"

"I'm a genius. I'll breeze through it." Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"It's not just about brains, moron. There's also tests on your actual skill…and she said we can't do anything other than substitution and clone jutsu." Iruka pointed out.

"Maa…whatever. So I'll get good. It can't be that hard." Kakashi shrugged.

Without even noticing, the duo had fallen into step, side by side, towards their new apartment.

"Tch. You're not great at _everything _you know. You _could _do badly." Iruka frowned.

"Me? Do badly? I'm a Jounin. You really think I'll do badly at the Academy?" Kakashi scoffed.

"I sure hope so…" Iruka grumbled, then when Kakashi narrowed his eyes, he grinned and said, "Nothing, nothing!"

"…I can't believe Tsunade's making me live with you."

"You think you have it bad? I have to live with _you. _At least I don't read porn."

"It's not porn. It's an informative collection of…"

"Porn?"

"No! Of…seduction techniques."

"That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard." Iruka laughed.

"Shut up. You'll see; I'll pass the Academy with flying colors and be back to normal in no time." Kakashi declared.

"Yeah. I'm sure it's that easy." Iruka rolled his eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

When Kakashi woke up, the first thing he noticed was the warmth. It was comforting and solid, and it made the feeling in his stomach jump.

His eyes fluttered open, and all he could see was tan skin. He was snuggled up against it, and his arms were wrapped tightly around it. It felt…nice…safe…

Last night's events flooded back.

"_Get off!"_

"_You get off! I called the bed and you know it!"_

"_I don't care! If you think I'm gonna sleep on the couch, you're crazier than I thought!"_

"Move!_" Iruka shoved him off. Kakashi hit the floor with a thump. He frowned, then jumped back on and shoved Iruka off._

"You _move!"_

_After an hour or so of general rough-housing, they'd fallen asleep at the farthest ends of the bed possible._

Kakashi realized with a start that this meant they'd moved, and he was holding _Iruka. _And he _liked _it.

He reacted instantly, shoving the brunette away and leaping out of bed. Iruka fell off the bed, and when he poked his head up, Kakashi couldn't help but stare. Iruka's innocent hazel eyes were wide in confusion, and his chocolate brown hair stuck up in all directions from rolling off the bed.

"What the…" Iruka blinked, then remembered, "Ah! You! Me! Kids! School!"

"Huh?"

"_School!_" Iruka yelped again, scrambling up and heading for the closet, which, as they'd found out last night, was well-stocked with clothes.

"So? We have like three hours." Kakashi waved him off.

"Are you crazy? It starts in five minutes!"  
"Huh. I always remember arriving at 11…"

"Yeah, you would…" Iruka grumbled, "But why don't we follow _my _advice, considering I, oh, I dunno, _work there?_"

"…nah." Kakashi decided.

"You're going to be on time if I have to drag your sorry ass there myself!" Iruka threatened.

"Just try it, chunnin!" Kakashi taunted.

He really should know better by now.

~.~.~.~.~

"Rule #7, you bastard!" Kakashi yelled as Iruka hauled Kakashi the tied and bound Copy Nin over his shoulder.

"Screw you." Iruka scoffed.

"If you won't follow the rules, neither will I!" Kakashi threatened.

"You never did, dumbass!" Iruka rolled his eyes.

"I'm gonna chidori your ass, you hear me?!" Kakashi yelled. It might have sounded fiercer if he looked older than twelve. To be honest, he looked more like eight…and his voice hadn't changed. Thus, no one paid much attention to the little boy yelling bloody murder while his little friend hauled him across the village. Though they were impressed by the brunette's strength.

"But you didn't supercharge it this time…" Iruka mock pouted, then smirked.

"Shut up!"

"Aw, is Pikachu getting feisty? Don't thunderbolt me now…"

"I swear to Kami-!"  
"Heya Akemi-sensei!" Iruka greeted as he slid open the door to the classroom. He knew Makuza Akemi from around the Academy, and they usually ate lunch together. It would be weird to treat her like his teacher, but…oh well. He deposited Kakashi in the seat farthest to the right, then took the one furthest to the left.

"Um…hello…is he…okay?" Akemi raised an eyebrow.

"No I'm not okay! Make that bastard untie me right now, or so help me-!" Kakashi was cut off when Iruka slapped a piece of duck tape over his mouth. Kakashi glared up furiously at him.

"Language, Kashi-kun." Iruka shook a finger at him mockingly. Then explained to Akemi apologetically, "No worries, he's fine. Just don't release him until after the bell, or he'll run off."

"…are you two brothers or something?" Akemi asked doubtfully, glancing between the boys, comparing. Pale; tan. Blue eyes; hazel. Silver hair; brown. Dark clothes; light. Jeez. The only way they seemed the same was their taunting regard for each other.

"Er…something like that." Iruka told her vaguely. Kakashi shook his head furiously, eyes wide.

"…right." Akemi sighed, finally deciding that if it meant the masked kid would be quiet until school started…eh. Weirder things had happened in Konoha, that was for sure, "You're new, aren't you? Gaki Iruka and Gaki Kakashi?"

(A/N: Gaki means 'brat' in Japanese. Usually refers to a child.)

"Uh…" Iruka blinked, then realized it must have been Tsunade. Only she would think it was funny to make their last name 'brat'. Kakashi just scowled; could his day get any worse? "Yeah, I guess. I'm Iruka, that's Kakashi."

"We're alphabetically seated, but I don't really want to reorganize the whole class, so you two can just take the seats between Nara Shikamaru and Uchiha Sasuke." Akemi motioned for them to sit, and Iruka hastily shook his head.

"We really shouldn't sit together…"

"Those are the only seats we have available, and I'm not disrupting my class order. I'm sure you get along fine at home, you can get along fine here." Akemi waved them off. Iruka sighed, and hauled Kakashi over his shoulder.

"We're going to disrupt a hell lot more than 'class order' if we're sitting together…" Iruka grumbled.

He dumped Kakashi in his seat, unceremoniously plopped down next to him, and glared at the silver-haired brat. Kakashi glared right back.

Slowly but surely, kids trickled in. When they'd see Kakashi and Iruka, they'd start to whisper amongst themselves. Iruka was having fun watching them. When this was all over, he'd be able to teach them better, that was for sure. That was how he'd look at this: just a way to improve his teaching. Kakashi, however, simply ignored the kids and spent his time plotting Iruka's demise.

"Hey! You're new, huh?" An excited voice called out.

"Duh, dobe." A second, quieter voice scoffed. Iruka looked up to see Naruto and Sasuke.

"Huh? Yeah. Me and my…uh, brother are new. I'm Iruka. That's Kakashi." Iruka jerked a thumb at the scowling boy next to him.

"Cool! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and that's _Uchiha Sasuke._" Naruto made a gagging gesture, and Sasuke smacked him. Naruto grinned before continuing, "Wow! We haven't had new kids since…"

Naruto paused. After a moment, Sasuke rolled his eyes and filled in the blank.

"Never."

"I knew that, teme!" Naruto stuck out his tongue.

"Tch." Sasuke just rolled his eyes again and sat down next to Kakashi. Naruto followed his example, and, still teasing the raven-haired child, sat down next to Sasuke.

"…why is…Kakashi, right? Why is Kakashi tied up?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow, completely ignoring the blonde next to him.

Iruka watched Kakashi yell incomprehensible things into the duck tape over his mouth for a good minute before he laughed and translated.

"Because he didn't want to come to school."

"Hn." Sasuke nodded appreciatively.

"I don't like school either." Naruto patted Kakashi on the back sympathetically, and Kakashi just glared at him.

"You're rude like teme, huh?" Naruto frowned.

"Ruder." Iruka interjected with a snort, "By far."

"Well, at least we have you around to keep him in line, ne?" Someone smirked, leaning on Iruka's desk. He looked Iruka up and down, then raised an eyebrow. Of course, Iruka-being Iruka-completely missed the gesture, "I'm Inuzuka Kiba. And you are…?"

"I'm, uh, Gaki Iruka, and that kid's Gaki Kakashi." Iruka gestured to Kakashi.  
"Ah. He's your brother?" Kiba raised an eyebrow again, this time in confusion.

"Uh…yeah." Iruka shrugged, deciding that if the teacher thought so, they might as well stick with it. Kakashi seemed to agree, seeing as he didn't protest anymore.

"Oh. Good. I thought he might have been competition." Kiba grinned, and was about to say more when the bell rang. He left for his seat, leaving Iruka to puzzle over his comment.

"What the…competition?" Iruka tilted his head, confused.

~Switch to Kakashi's POV~

He'd kill that brat.

He really would.

He didn't even need his chakra back from Tsunade-he'd just gut the forward, hormone-crazed brat with a kunai.

Kakashi glared daggers at the Inuzuka's back. It'd be a rusty kunai, if that _child_ even _thought _about coming near Iruka again. Kakashi's thoughts raced at a million miles an hour, calculating how many ways he could kill the Inuzuka without his chakra, and, preferably (but not necessarily), without anyone finding out.

Then, that brat had the gall to turn around and _leer _at _his_ Iruka.

Kakashi stopped thinking.

White-hot anger hit his veins like liquid ice, and he broke the duct tape. He leapt out of his seat, yanked out a kunai, and-!

"Kakashi?"

Kakashi opened his eyes, and blinked twice when he saw Iruka two inches from his face. He quickly leaned as far back as he could, and yelled into the duck tape across his mouth not to get so close to people. It came out something like 'mmm-mmmm-mm-mmm-mm', but something told him Iruka understood him anyway. Why? Because he was Iruka.

Iruka just rolled his eyes.

"You were zoning out. You okay?"

"Mm." Kakashi nodded, then frowned. What had he been thinking _that _crap for? What did _he _care if some scruffy brat liked Iruka? He hated Iruka anyway. Kakashi frowned deeper as he puzzled over this.

"Oh, yeah…the bell rang. I'm going to take off the tape…but _no _yelling, got it?" Iruka threatened.

"Mm-mm." Kakashi nodded the affirmative reluctantly, and Iruka tore off the tape.

"Mother f-!" Kakashi bit his lip, stifling his curse before Iruka killed him for cursing in front of children.

Even if they were technically children too.

Whatever.

"Iruka, if you could untie Kakashi as well, we can get started with class." The teacher was a woman he'd seen around-usually hanging on Iruka-Makuza Akemi. She got up from her desk, and motioned for Iruka to untie him.

"On it." Iruka nodded, and untied Kakashi, who grabbed his arm and whispered into his ear.

"I would have been able to get out if I'd have still had my chakra!" He muttered.

"Sure." Iruka smirked.

"Alright! Today we're going to be talking about chakra! How many of you know what chakra is?"

Kakashi raised a bored eyebrow at Iruka while Akemi continued with her lecture about what chakra was.

"Oh yeah; the Academy's soooo hard. I'm shaking in fear already." Kakashi droned sarcastically.

"Shut up." Iruka rolled his eyes.

"Whatcha gonna do about it, _chunnin?_" Kakashi stuck out his tongue.

"Maybe the lecture would be better if someone hadn't broken the damn coffee machine last week!" Iruka growled back.

"Maybe I wouldn't have broken the coffee machine if you hadn't told your brats my hair was cotton candy! Do you know how many kids tried to _eat _my _hair?! _Not to mention how disturbing it is to have kids eating my hair in the first place!"

"I wouldn't have told them that if you hadn't dunked me in the lake!"

"I wouldn't have dunked you in the lake if you hadn't broken my finger!"

"I wouldn't have broken your finger if you hadn't poked me!"  
"Is there something you boys need to share with the class?" Akemi raised an eyebrow at the bickering duo.

"No sensei." Iruka scowled. Kakashi just snorted and looked away.

"…fine. As I was saying…"

"I hope you know this is all _your _fault." Kakashi grumbled.

"_My _fault?! You're the one that told my pre-genin that I was a _vampire!_ For Kami's sake, they were trying to look in my mouth for weeks, not to mention I was dodging wooden shuriken all day!"

"You're the childish one here! You tried to tell me my IQ test came back negative!"

"You're the one that believed me, idiot!"

"Shut up, chunnin!"

"Moron!"

"Know-it-all!"

"_Boys!_" Akemi snapped, making them jump, "Are we having problems?"

"No sensei." Iruka recited, and Akemi sized them up before finally sighing.

"One more time, and you're both going up to the office, you hear me?" Akemi threatened.

"Got it." Iruka nodded.

"Hn." Kakashi smirked.

"If you get me sent to the office on the first day of school, I swear to Kami, I'll kill you, you hear me?!" Iruka whisper-hissed.

"Yeah, yeah." Kakashi grumbled, and sunk lower in his seat until all the teacher could see of him was his eye.

"Sit up straight, Kakashi-kun." Akemi ordered immediately. Kakashi glared.

"Did you just call me 'ku-" Kakashi began in a deadpan voice until Iruka grabbed him by his silvery hair and yanked him up straight, "OWW!"

"Sorry sensei." Iruka said, then glared at Kakashi before whispering, "You're a child, dimwit! Of course she'll call you 'kun'!"

"Shut up, chunnin!"

"That's it. Office. Now." Akemi slammed her textbook down and pointed at the door.

"Whoa…you got sent to the office before _Naruto!_" The blonde girl next to Naruto gaped.

"Duuuude…" Naruto looked at Iruka and Kakashi reverently.

"Troublesome." The boy with a brown, spiky ponytail sitting next to Iruka sighed.

"Nice going." Kiba glared at Kakashi, who resisted the urge to tackle the annoying brat.

"Shut up, brat. It's none of your business." Kakashi glared back.

"You shut up, fluff-boy! You're the same age as me!" Kiba protested with a growl.

"Don't make me kill you, you little fanged freak!" Kakashi threatened.

"I'm not a freak, all Inuzuka's have fangs, you ignorant dumbface!" Kiba shot back.

"I'm a 'dumbface'? Figures a mutt like you couldn't even think of a good insult!" Kakashi sneered. Kiba's face turned red with anger, and was about to retort when he was interrupted by Akemi grabbing him by the back of his shirt and roughly shoving him towards the door.

"_Boys! _All _three _of you, to the office! NOW!" Akemi-sensei roared, grabbing Kakashi and Iruka as well, and practically chucking them out the door.

Had she known any of the three of them, she would not have done so.

The instant they were alone, Kiba tackled Kakashi with a snarl. Kakashi flipped the child over his head, but, because of his new body and size, misjudged his landing. Instead of planting one hand on the ground then pushing off to land on both feet, Kakashi's hand hit the floor and slipped, causing him to fly into Iruka.

They both flew, then landed in a sprawl on the floor. Kiba managed to hit the floor on all fours, and skid backwards for a moment from the momentum before charging forward again. They both scrambled to get up and block Kiba's attack. Kakashi was on his feet and about to divert Kiba's attack when Iruka stood up behind him, and accidentally bumped him forward. The boys collided head on with a loud _thunk_, and Kiba was knocked back, this time landing flat on his ass. After a moment of blinking and teetering, he collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Kakashi would have as well, had Iruka not been behind him. Iruka caught the masked child-who was now swaying dizzily-and steadied him against a wall.

"What in the bloody hell is going on out here?!"

Iruka glanced up to see the Academy Head, Yamada Keiji, peering out of his office with an incredulous expression.

"Sorry, Yamada-sama!" Iruka immediately straightened, then bowed low, well aware of how big Keiji was on student respect, "Akemi-um, I mean, Makuza-sama-sent us up to the office, but Kiba-kun and Kakashi got into a fight as soon as she closed the door…"

"…I see." Keiji examined the unconscious boys, and frowned when he saw the blood on their foreheads. He clicked his tongue disapprovingly, "They…headbutted each other? A tad coarse way of doing things…"

"I don't think it was intentional." Iruka sweatdropped.

"Students these days…" Keiji sighed.

"Tell me about it…" Iruka agreed. Keiji gave him a weird look, "Uh, I mean, are we in trouble?"

"You, go wait in my office and we'll discuss why you got sent there in the first place. I'll send these two down to the nurse's office, and when they're revived, they'll join us for a little chat."

~.~.~.~.~

"It was all Iruka's fault!" Kakashi declared as Keiji ushered him and Kiba into the office.

"Leave him alone! He didn't do nothing, you son of a-" Kiba growled back before he was interrupted by Iruka.

"Both of you shut the hell up!" Iruka yelled.

"_All _of you!" Keiji ordered, slamming a hand down on his desk, and pointing to the three chairs in front of his desk, "Sit."

The three pre-teens simmered down and meekly took a seat.

"So, I hear _you two_," Keiji gestured to Kakashi and Iruka, "Got sent up for arguing loudly and disruptively multiple times after the teacher asked you to quiet down. Correct?"

"Yeah, but-!" Kakashi protested.

"It was all-!" Iruka began.

"_Correct?_" Keiji glared at them.

"Hai." They recited together with a scowl.

"And I hear _you_," Keiji looked at Kiba, "got sent up for arguing with Kakashi, correct?"

"Yeah, but he totally-!"

"_Correct?"_

"Hai." Kiba sulked.

"Is there any particular _reason _you three seem intent on killing each other? Kiba, you've only known Kakashi here less than an hour."

"Yeah, but he's like a total bitch about Iruka!" Kiba protested. Keiji's eyes went wide, Iruka gaped, and Kakashi knocked both of their chairs over as he tackled Kiba. Both boys went down, and Kakashi easily pinned Kiba and held a kunai to the pre-genin's throat.

"What'd you call me?!"

"Like a _dog_! I meant you're like all protective and stuff!" Kiba exclaimed terrified voice.

Iruka could have slapped himself; of course. Kiba was an _Inuzuka_. He probably didn't even _know_ that the word bitch had another meaning.

"Gaki Kakashi, you hand me that this _instant!_" Keiji yelled fiercely, hauling the young boy up by the back of his shirt. He snatched the kunai, and held it up high, "This is _not _a toy! Where did you get this?!"

"Where did I _what?_" Kakashi deadpanned.

"Where did you get this?!" Keiji repeated furiously.

"…the kunai store?" Kakashi blinked, "Isn't that where you get yours?"

"You dumbass! Pre-genin can't use kunai!" Iruka yelled at Kakashi.

"Watch your language, Iruka!" Keiji reprimanded.

"Don't yell at me, know-it-all, you've got kunai too!" Kakashi yelled back.

"You too?!" Keiji snatched Iruka's kunai holster before Iruka had time to react, and realized that it was just as loaded as Kakashi's, "This Academy has a strict policy on no unsupervised weaponry, and you've both just _catapulted _over the line on that rule! I'll see the two of _you _in detention! And you, Inuzuka, get back to class." Keiji ordered. Kiba, still stunned from Kakashi's attack, fled.

"Hah! Ran like a baby." Kakashi grinned smugly.

"He's twelve, you socially retarded, arrogant bastard!"

"So're you, moron!"

"No shit, dumbass!"  
"_BOYS!_" Keiji roared over their bickering. Both froze. "If you two ever want to see daylight again, you will march your butts down to Akemi-sensei's class without a fuss, you hear me? And if I even _think _you're fighting again, I'll have you cleaning toilets until the day you die! Understand?!"

"Hai, Yamada-sama." The boys recited.

"Good. Go." Keiji waved them out, and they left without a word.

As Iruka turned the corner, he grumbled to himself, "If _this _is what a trip to the office is like, I'll never send my students there again…"


	7. Chapter 7

"Sit. If you two cause any more trouble today, I'm going to call your parents." Akemi warned. Iruka didn't have the heart to tell her they didn't have any, and Kakashi couldn't be bothered to.

The rest of the morning passed relatively uneventfully, at least compared to the first half hour of the day. The morning was marked by glares between Kiba and Kakashi, Naruto whispering jokes to him, and an irritated glance Sasuke threw Iruka's way. Was the raven…_jealous? _Because Naruto was talking to him? Interesting.

The one thing Iruka _did _notice was Sakura. Sakura continued to turn around and glance at him all morning. But when he made eye contact and smiled back, she just blushed furiously and looked away. What was up with that? And then there was Ino. Iruka was feeling distinctly uncomfortable with the way the twelve year old was looking at Kakashi. Kakashi, too busy glaring at Kiba, didn't notice, but Ino's look was positively seductive.

Wait. Why should _he _care if Ino wanted to flirt with that rude bastard? Kakashi could flirt all he wanted; Iruka didn't care…did he?

_Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!_

Lunch!

Kids stormed out of the class, Kakashi and Iruka among them. Without any thought or agreement, they stuck together.

"Hey chunnin."

"Hey moron."

And that was that.

They headed towards a group of trees near the classroom where Akemi's class was situated. Kiba, Shino, Choji, and Neji sat in a semi-circle at the base of one of the trees. Kiba was talking animatedly to the group about some new move he and Akamaru had perfected, and Akamaru-who was sitting in his lap-barked in agreement. Shino listened stoically, nodding on occasion, while munching on his sandwich. Choji inhaled a bag of chips ravenously while listening with interest. Neji was pretending to listen, while really practicing his Byakugan by counting the birds in the trees.

A few feet from them was the lunch table where Sakura, Ino, and Hinata sat. Ino was going on and on about this amazing new eyeshadow her mom had got her that really brought out her eyes, while Sakura and Hinata listened in awe.

"C'mon." Iruka motioned and started to walk towards the group of boys before Kakashi nabbed his arm and yanked him back, "Hey!"

"Are you going to sit with that dogboy?!" Kakashi whisper-hissed incredulously.

"Um…I was _going _to…why?" Iruka raised an eyebrow.

"But you're completely out of his league!"

"_What?_"

"I mean, he's a brat, and annoying, and-!"

"Kiba's not that bad!" Iruka reasoned, indignant on his student's behalf, "He tries very hard in school, and he's definitely improving in his ninju-"

"That's not what I meant! I'm not talking about student dogboy, I'm talking about hormonal, twelve-year-old dogboy!" Kakashi explained, frustrated.

"Hor…monal? Are you crazy? Do you even hear yourself? Are you trying to tell me my _twelve year old student _has a crush on me?" Iruka snorted.

"Are you _blind?_" Kakashi gaped.

"Kakashi, he's twelve. Besides, what do _you _care? You and Ino seem perfectly happy!" Iruka frowned.

"Ino? The fuck?"

"Don't cuss, you moron!" Iruka smacked Kakashi upside the head.

"_Ow!_ Okay, okay, the frick! Who the hell-uh, heck-is that?"

"The blonde that was ogling you all period." Iruka rolled his eyes.

"I thought that kid's name was Naruto." Kakashi tilted his head in confusion.

"The _girl _blonde, dimwit! And don't tell me you didn't notice, you arrogant, self-centered-!"

"No I didn't _notice._ She's _twelve!_"

"So's Kiba!"

"That's different!"  
"Nu-uh."

"Yu-huh!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Yu-huh!"

Kakashi tackled Iruka, sending the duo flying. Without the use of their chakra, it was a relatively simplistic fight-wrestling, really. Iruka managed to scrape the side of Kakashi's cheek with his fist when they rolled, but Kakashi was definitely winning; he'd pinned Iruka twice, and the second time managed to get a good punch to the (former) teacher's ribs before Iruka kicked him off.

The crowd of pre-genin was quick to form, and soon the whole class was cheering, egging them on. Kiba reluctantly stayed out of it, remembering what had happened the _last _time he'd tried to fight Kakashi, but was definitely the loudest to cheer for Iruka.

Ino and Sakura were cheering for Kakashi and Iruka respectively, and were starting an argument of their own about it.

"Kakashi-chan's _totally _gonna win! He's like totally hot, not to mention super strong!" Ino gushed.

"How would _you _know?" Sakura snorted.

"You can just tell! The way his shirt clings to his abs…" Ino trailed off, and gave a love-struck sigh, "And that mask! He's soooo mysterious…"

"Give it up, Ino-pig. Iruka-chan's waaaay hotter. He has that adorable scar, and those big hazel eyes…how can you _not _love him? Plus, he's _totally _stronger than that _Kakashi_; he'll win this easy. Didn't you see how he tried to keep _your _little crush under control this morning?" Sakura smirked.

"Yeah, but he couldn't because Kakashi-chan's way stronger than some stupid little kid. Didn't you hear, big-brow? That Iruka kid had to practically drag him to class. My Kakashi-chan's _literally _too cool for school." Ino boasted.

Finally, Kakashi pinned Iruka for good.

"Told you I'm better, chunnin!" Kakashi smirked.

"Don't count on it, bastard!" Iruka growled, and stood up, and started to brush himself off, signaling the end of the fight.

Immediately, they were rushed.

Kiba and Sakura came over to Iruka, Kiba brushing Iruka off and asking if was hurt, did he get any good punches, did he want Kiba to beat up that brat Kakashi for him? And Sakura came up, blushed furiously, mumbled something about how she thought he was much better, and that he would win next time, then ran off. Naruto and Choji were quick to join him. Choji patted Iruka on the back sympathetically, reminding him there was always next time, and Naruto assured him that "we'll get that teme-I mean, uh, Kakashi-next time, you and me, Iruka!"

Kakashi had a crowd of his own. Ino was fawning over him, telling him how awesome he was, and how she just _knew _he could beat that loser any day of the week. Hinata came up and stuttered out that she thought he'd done well, and Shino gave him an approving nod. Even Sasuke deigned to tell him he was pretty strong…for not being an Uchiha, that is. Eventually, Shikamaru came up and asked him if he had a minute. Kakashi glanced over at Iruka-instinct, that's all!-and, seeing that the sensei was surrounded by the other kids, frowned.

"Yeah. I guess I do." Kakashi agreed, and Shikamaru nodded before motioning for him to follow.

Kakashi followed Shikamaru up a flight of stairs, and found himself on an open courtyard. The grass was a clean, bright green, and there were no trees to be seen. Shikamaru laid back on the grass, and motioned for Kakashi to join him. They laid on the grass companionably for a few moments.

"...so your name's Gaki Kakashi, huh?" Shikamaru said at last.

"Yeah." Kakashi nodded, looking up at the sky.

"…and you're from where?"

"Konoha. We're orphans from the Kyuubi attack." Kakashi lied. He was usually a good liar…but Tsunade hadn't provided him much of a backstory to go on.

"…" Shikamaru tilted his head to they were face to face, "I doubt it."

"Huh?"  
"Naruto's an orphan from the attack too, but he's been in the class forever. Why're you joining so late?"

"Uh…we just didn't feel like it til now." Kakashi said vaguely.

There was a period of silence as Shikamaru processed this information.

"…you're not twelve, are you?" Shikamaru said at last.

"…" Kakashi debated with himself for a moment, then remembered what Iruka had told him about Shikamaru. The kid was lazy, but smart as hell. There was really no point in lying. "Nah. I'm not. But let's keep this between us, ne?"  
"Yeah." Shikamaru agreed, then paused, "You're about twenty-something, right? That Iruka guy too?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?" Kakashi asked, intrigued.

"You kept calling him chunnin, and he called you an arrogant bastard of a Jounin once. If you were both chunnin I'd guess fifteen or so, but if you're a Jounin, you must be at least early twenties. And you both have to be around the same age, the way you were fighting indicated you were used to fighting each other. So, twenty-something." Shikamaru shrugged. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"Nice. Smart kid." Kakashi chuckled.

"How're you pretending to be genin? It's not genjutsu."

"Don't tell me you can sense genjutsu too! You're only twelve!"

"I can't, but Akemi-sensei would have noticed." Shikamaru pointed out.

"Oh. Well, it's complicated. Let's just say it involves a pissed off Tsunade, and leave it at that."

"Ah." Shikamaru nodded sagely.

Kakashi decided he liked this Shikamaru kid; he understood when not to press things. That decision was promptly changed when Shikamaru changed the subject.

"So how long have you and Iruka-san been dating?"

"_WHAT?_"

Below them, every last one of the pre-genin immediately looked up at the loud shout. Ino squealed, recognizing Kakashi's voice.

"So _that's _where he was hiding!" Ino grinned determinedly, "C'mon big-brow! Let's go see what he's talking about!"

"…isn't that stalking?" Sakura quirked her head. Ino sighed.

"You can bring _Iruka-chan _along…" Ino offered in a sing-song voice. Sakura squealed in agreement, and Ino nodded, "Then c'mon. Go ask him and then let's go find Kakashi-chan!"

"But…_I _can't ask him…" Sakura mumbled, blushing furiously.

"Why not?"  
"But…what if he says no?"

"You just gotta go for it, Sakura! See, like this." Ino instructed, going up to Iruka, who'd been sitting with Kiba. The Inuzuka was talking to Iruka about a cool new move he'd perfected, but Iruka-though, being Iruka, he was of course listening politely-didn't seem very interested. He seemed to be looking for something else. Or someone. Who knew?

"Hey Iruka! We're gonna go find Kakashi, wanna come?" Ino didn't wait for an answer, and instead grabbed his wrist and tugged him along.

The trio hid below the balcony Kakashi and Shikamaru were on, close enough to hear everything.

"How long have we _what?_"

"How long have you and Iruka been dating?" Shikamaru reiterated, with a look on his face that clearly said he thought it was troublesome that Kakashi hadn't understood him the first time.

"I _heard _you…I'm just wondering about your _sanity_." Kakashi sat up and looked at the Nara boy in amazement, "What on earth made you think that over-emotional, passive-aggressive chunnin and I are _dating?_"

"Oh, you haven't told him yet, huh?" Shikamaru drawled lazily.

"Of course I haven't tol-wait! I don't have anything to tell him! I don't _like _him!" Kakashi spluttered.

"Oh. So you haven't admitted it to yourself yet either, huh? How troublesome." Shikamaru sighed.

"Not really, bu-hey! Stop doing that! I. Don't. Like. Him! I _hate _him, okay?!"

"Yeah, like tackling Kiba for so much as looking at him wasn't obvious." Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"I just don't like the dogboy, okay? Got a problem with that?" Kakashi growled.

"…if I wasn't so tired, I might argue you on that point. As it is, I'm ready for a nap, and it's really none of my concern. Just don't blame me when you regret all the time you lost." Shikamaru shrugged, and promptly turned over. Kakashi blinked, then looked at the boy again. He was _asleep._

"Brat…" Kakashi grumbled, and picked himself up and dusted off.

He did _not _like Iruka. That wasn't even in the realm of _possibility!_ He _hated _the stupid chunnin…right? No. He _couldn't _like Iruka. Besides, Iruka had that stupid little dogbrat. Kami he hated that dogbrat.

"Kakashi!"

Kakashi immediately glanced up. Iruka?

No, it was some blonde, charging up the stairs towards him. She came straight for him, and tackled him around the waist. They both hit the ground, and Kakashi winced. Who the hell was this chick? Wait…hadn't Iruka said something about a blonde staring at him all period? And…Iruka _had _sounded sort of…mad about it. Maybe he liked the blonde?

Ouch. The thought stung...really stung. He didn't know why, and he didn't dwell on it. What difference did it make anyway? It was time for a little revenge…

~Mainly Iruka's POV~

Iruka trudged up the stairs after Ino and Sakura. The conversation he'd overheard between Shikamaru and Kakashi (because he'd been dragged by Ino, that's all! Not because he wanted to know what Kakashi was thinking, not at all!) had been…depressing. That was the second time in two days Kakashi had said he'd hated him. Iruka was…unsure how he felt, to be honest, but that didn't mean he _hated _Kakashi! He knew that much, at least. However he felt about the Copy Nin, it wasn't hate. In fact…were he honest with himself, he might even say he…

"Hey Ino." Kakashi's voice brought Iruka out of his thoughts, and he looked up.

Kakashi and Ino were entangled on the ground, and Ino on top of Kakashi, who didn't seem particularly inclined to get up. Instead, he propped himself up on his elbows and grinned. Ino blushed lightly and shot Kakashi a smirk back.

Iruka felt a sharp pain in his chest.

"Were ya looking for me?" Kakashi asked Ino with a suggestive grin. For some reason, he looked at Iruka as he said this, and gave the sensei a devious smirk.

"Yup! C'mon, come eat lunch with me, Kakashi-chan!" Ino goaded, giving the silver-haired boy a tight hug. Were Iruka paying attention, he might have noticed Kakashi's slight twitch at the nickname. As it was, he just gave Kakashi a hate-filled glare before turning and running off.


	8. Chapter 8

Kakashi watched uneasily as Iruka ran off.

He thought it'd feel good to get Iruka back…but it didn't. It didn't at all. Watching Iruka run off angrily, giving him that hate-filled glare…it only made Kakashi feel like a prick. But whatever! Iruka had brought it on himself! He'd…well…you know! Kami, he had to have done _something!_ Damn it, why couldn't he think of a good reason to mad at Iruka? There had to be at least a million! Like all those pranks he'd pulled on him…well, okay, maybe he'd thought, deep down (like, _deeeeeep _down) that they were sort of funny. What about all those times they'd fought?! Well, okay, most of those he had probably started. And they weren't really something to be mad about…oh, what about for cozying up to that stupid dogboy? Yeah! Iruka _totally _deserved revenge for that!

"You're the stupidest person I've ever met." Shikamaru stared at him in strange fascination, glancing between the fleeing Iruka and confused Kakashi.

"Hey!" Kakashi growled. He did _not _need this right now.

"Shut up, Shika!" Ino sneered, sticking out her tongue, "Kakashi-kun's not stupid, he's the smartest guy ever!"

"Ino, get off him, wouldja?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "He loves someone else, alright?"

"What?! Who?! Is it big-brow?! I'll kill her! I'll-!" Ino began as she stood up off Kakashi, but Shikamaru shook his head.

"Nope. Iruka." Shikamaru said simply with a sigh. Ino's eyes flashed, and she took off before Kakashi-struck dumb by Shikamaru's statement-could say a word.

"W-what the hell…I'm not in l-love with him!" Kakashi finally sputtered, getting up off the ground.

"Yes, you are. Everyone knows." Shikamaru sighed, "Why else would you always interrupt class to tease him? Why else would you guys fight all the time? Why else would Tsunade-sama have to post all those rules in the mission room?"

"What the hell?! How do you remember-?!"

"I figured out the jutsu, so my memory was restored." Shikamaru didn't smile. He was dead serious now, and he leveled Kakashi with a glare, "Iruka-well, Iruka-sensei-is the best teacher we've ever had. He's the only one who understands us, who cares about us. I won't let you hurt him just because you're too stupid to understand your own emotions."

Kakashi was floored by the twelve year old child.

"Find him. Apologize, confess, and move on with your lives so I can get Iruka-sensei back." Shikamaru frowned, obviously annoyed.

"Oh, lemme guess, he takes you out for ramen too?" Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"No." Shikamaru protested, then mumbled, "He plays shougi with me, and takes me seriously. Not many other people would."

Kakashi sighed; that sounded like Iruka. Seemed the whole world loved the stupid chunnin. Apparently, him included.

But he _couldn't! _That just…it just wasn't possible! He was the Copy Nin, for crying out loud! He couldn't love some no-name chunnin! Even if said chunnin was really cute as a kid…and even cuter as an adult…not to mention _really _sexy when he was angry…no!

He. Did. Not. Like. Iruka.

He didn't want to look into those beautiful hazel eyes every minute of every day. He didn't want to hold that tan body close to him and never let go. He didn't want to feel those dark red lips on his pale ones, binding them together. He didn't want to know if the chunnin tasted like he smelled, a sweet mixture of vanilla and cinnamon. He didn't want to know how those smooth, unscarred hands felt all over his body...

SHIT!

He DID!

Oh, he was so very screwed. Kakashi's eyes widened, and he took off in the same direction Iruka had only fifteen minutes prior. Shikamaru shook his head, watching the small boy run off with an aggravated sigh of, "Troublesome…"

~Fifteen minutes ago~

Damn that Kakashi!

Damn him damn him damn him! Iruka wanted to yell it at the sky, but he knew it wouldn't help. He didn't even know _why _it hurt so badly, but it did. It really, _really _did. Seeing Ino, sprawled all over Kakashi, and Kakashi _enjoying _it…and then that bastard had _smirked. _Like he was so much better than Iruka, always so much better, so much stronger, so much more intelligent…that _bastard_. He was just as good, just as strong, just as smart as that arrogant son of a bitch. So Kakashi hated him, huh? Well, he hated him too!

…

He couldn't even convince himself. Because, he knew why it hurt so badly to see Ino with Kakashi. He knew why he couldn't be rational around the Jounin. He knew why he always over-reacted to him. He knew why he always got angry with him.

Because it was sure as hell easier than jumping the man.

And a hell of a lot less painful. Because Iruka knew exactly what would happen if he _did _tell Kakashi how he felt. He wouldn't even get rejected, not in words; he'd be laughed at. Kakashi wouldn't even _consider _him. Some chunnin? Some low-level little brat he teased in his spare time? No; Kakashi wouldn't even give him a second glance if Iruka didn't fight with him all the time.

"You!"

"Me?" Iruka was startled out of his thoughts. He turned to face Ino.

"_You're _the one that stole _my _Kakashi-kun?!" Ino planted her hands on her hips.

Iruka had run in the opposite direction of the quad and all the kids, and had eventually ended up on the roof of the Academy, dangling his feet off the edge as he thought to himself. Now, he pulled his feet up and inched away from the edge of the roof; with the look Ino was giving him, he wouldn't be surprised if she went and shoved him off the edge.

"No…he's my 'brother', remember?" Iruka tried. Ino suddenly looked confused.

"Oh…yeah, huh…damnit! Shika lied to me!" Ino bristled, and was about to stalk off. Iruka chuckled to himself, knowing how Shikamaru and Ino usually argued like cats and dogs, but actually got along quite well when they weren't fighting.

"Shikamaru? What'd he say about me 'stealing' Kakashi?" Iruka quirked his head.

"Oh. He was arguing with Kakashi, and cause I was still sitting on Kakashi-kun's stomach-oh, hey, did you know he has like _majorly _rock-hard abs? He must work out like _all day! _I couldn't believe it, it was like sitting on a rock, he totally had-"

"Uh, Ino? The point?" Iruka cleared his throat, blushing like crazy. But not just because of what Ino said.

Because, funny thing was, he _did _know that. And of course, she had reminded him of exactly how he found that out, something he had tried very hard to forget. It was what had made him realize exactly what it was about the Copy Nin that got him so riled.

It had been on the annual Academy field trip to Lake Konoha, a lake a little ways away from the village, but a popular hangout spot nonetheless. The Academy always rented it that day every year, and all students and teachers went, totaling something like 150 people at least.

By the time of that year's field trip, it had been a full five days into their rivalry, and their 'Don't' list already totaled 72. Enter, rule #73, how he found out just exactly what Kakashi's abs felt like, and how he realized how he felt about the silver-haired nin.

~Flashback~

"_Must be nice to get away from Kakashi for a couple of days, huh Iruka?" Akemi smiled at him sympathetically._

"_Tell me about it…" Iruka agreed while they laid out the supplies a little ways away from the lake. The kids were already changed and in the lake, swimming, goofing off, whatever. Iruka, Akemi, Moriko, and Principal Keiji were setting up the tables and food for lunch, while Nawashi and Suzume were down by the lake watching the kids. Well, Nawashi was in the water watching the kids. Suzume was suntanning. Iruka noticed Keiji glanced disapprovingly at Suzume, and excused himself.  
Iruka headed down to the lake. He nudged Suzume with a toe, "Hey, 'zume. Wake up."_

"_Che…can't a girl get some sleep?"_

"_Not on a field trip with these hellions." Iruka chuckled. "Swap jobs with me. For some strange reason, I think Keiji's got the impression you aren't watching the kids."_

"_Aw, crap, Kei's watching?" Suzume leapt up. Then she grinned at Iruka, "Thanks for saving my ass-not to mention my job-I owe you one."_

"_No worries." Iruka smiled back. Then he grinned mischievously, "Just next time…you might want to use a little sunscreen."_

_He tapped her on her blistering red shoulder lightly, and she shrieked._

"_Holy mother of-!"_

"_Language~!" Iruka sang, running down the beach and diving in the water to escape Suzume's wrath._

"_Watch your back, Iruka! I'll set Kakashi on you next time!" Suzume stuck her tongue out before turning around and stomping up the hillside, satisfied with her threat._

"_Heh, good one Iruka-sensei!" Naruto grinned, swimming up beside him._

_His spiky blonde hair and bright blue eyes was all Iruka could see of the boy, the rest was underwater. Naruto blew a few bubbles Iruka's direction, and Iruka laughed before grabbing the boy and tossing him up and away. Naruto shrieked with glee as he sailed through the air, landing in the water with a loud splash._

"_Do me, Iruka-sensei, do me!"_

"_Me too!"_

"_I wanna try!"_

_Iruka and Nawashi were suddenly surrounded by kids, begging to be tossed. Finally, they got out and made two lines at the dock, and stood at the edge, tossing kids in like rocks._

"_This is gonna get old fast, huh Iruka?" Nawashi sweat-dropped after tossing in Naruto for what must be the thirtieth time now._

"_No kidding…" Iruka agreed with a tired smile. It quickly turned into a real one as Sasuke approached him. He and the quiet child had formed something of a bond over the past few weeks, and Iruka was happy about it. Sasuke was such a sweet child when you got to know him._

"…_just once." Sasuke mumbled, the tiniest of embarrassed smile's on his face._

"_Even Uchiha's need to have a little fun, Sasuke-kun." Iruka smiled broadly, tossing the raven-haired boy in._

"_What about honorary Uchiha's?"_

_The smirking voice stopped him cold. Then, he warmed up again as anger hit him. Well, and anger, and something else…something suspiciously like happiness._

"_Go home, Hatake! You're not supposed to be here!" Iruka yelled._

_Kakashi stood before him in all his glory, clad in swim trunks, his hitai-ate, and his ever-present mask. Iruka found it very, _very _hard to ignore the part of his brain that screamed at how hot Kakashi looked topless._

"_Aw, but sensei…'even Uchiha's need to have a little fun'…" Kakashi mocked._

"_You're not an Uchiha, and you're not definitely not an Academy student; I don't even think you'd last a _day _at the Academy, you arrogant bastard! Go. Away." Iruka growled, his face flushing at the other's well-sculpted chest and what it was doing to his lower regions. This was quickly forgotten, however, when Kakashi _sneered _at him like a twelve-year-old, and replied with that infuriating nickname the arrogant Jounin insisted on calling him._

"_Make me, chunnin!"_

"_I will!" Iruka retorted, and moved to tackle Kakashi. Kakashi, however, beat him to it, and shoved Iruka in the lake. The sensei hit the water with a splash, and almost choked on water when he screamed enraged profanities into the murky depths._

_When Iruka didn't surface, Kakashi looked quizzical, and bent over to peer into the lake. He felt a push from behind, and he plunged into the lake as well. He surfaced with a gasp, immediately looking to the dock to see who dared to shove him in. It was Iruka. Soaked and enraged, but clever; Iruka had teleported back onto the dock and shoved him from behind when he looked to see why Iruka wasn't coming up for air._

"_How's that for a chunnin?" Iruka smirked. Kakashi glared, and in one swift motion, reached out of the water and grabbed Iruka's hand. He tugged the chunnin down into the water, and Iruka collided with him underwater. His legs landed loosely around Kakashi's waist, and his hands on Kakashi's shoulders. Kakashi's hands moved forward to push Iruka away, but paused on the sensei's chest for the briefest of moments. After a nanosecond of pause, they roughly shoved each other away and surfaced._

_They channeled their chakra into their feet and used the walking-on-water jutsu. They circled each other slowly, neither making a move. The teachers on the grass by the lake shook their heads with a slight smile; they acted disappointed, but honestly, they'd been expecting it anyway. Plus, even they had to admit it was entertaining. The kids cheered for their 'Iruka-sensei' from the dock, and Suzume joined Nawashi at the dock, cheering loudly for Iruka to 'kick some arrogant Jounin ass'. But Iruka didn't pay attention to them._

_He watched Kakashi's face intently, searching for any signal, any sign, any change. Suddenly, Kakashi's mask twitched ever-so-slightly, in a movement Iruka recognized as a smirk. No one else would know what set him off; no one else would be able to see through Kakashi's mask so well. But Iruka _knew _he was smirking, he just _knew.

_With that thought, he sent three kunai flying. Kakashi dodged them easily, as Iruka knew he would. They exploded inches from his head, sending the ex-ANBU's senses crazy, and making the Copy Nin duck. Iruka dove forward then, tackling Kakashi and hitting him square in the chest. They rolled for a moment before Iruka was overturned, and Kakashi pinned him. Before Kakashi could gloat, Iruka sent a knee straight into his abdomen, and Kakashi flinched as the wind was knocked out of him. That was enough for Iruka to flip the Jounin over and sit on him. But, since Kakashi had just had the wind knocked out of him, he wasn't able to draw on his chakra, and they both fell into the water._

_As the duo sank, Iruka slipped from his position on Kakashi's stomach, accidentally grinding his groin against Kakashi's. Kakashi leaned into it, and for the briefest of moments, they were close; naked chests pressed together, lower regions grinding in time with their heartbeats, lush lips bare breaths from colliding. Iruka moved to shove Kakashi away, but instead found his hands tangled in silver hair. Kakashi reached forward, hesitantly, and brushed a stray lock of chocolate hair behind Iruka' s ear. Hazel eyes met a single blue one; how long they stayed like this, neither knew. To Iruka, it felt like forever._

_Suddenly, a bubbling need for air in their lungs caused both to spring away as if on fire, and quickly rejoining the surface world. They glanced at each other, and in that nanosecond, they both put what happened behind them in the murky depths of Lake Konoha._

~End flashback~

Iruka's face flushed involuntarily at the memory; Kakashi had forgotten the incident, but it seemed he couldn't.

"So it's not you, then?" Ino asked, plopping down next to Iruka on the edge of the roof.

"It's not…what?" Iruka blinked at the blonde.

"You don't like my Kakashi-kun?" Ino pressed, making sure.

"Huh? Of course I don't! Besides, he has you now, right?" Iruka turned away from the girl so she wouldn't see his bitter scowl.

"You got that right!" Ino smiled widely, then hopped up and gave a little wave, "I'm gonna go find him, kay? If he comes by here, tell him to come see me."

"Mm-hmm." Iruka nodded, lost in his own thoughts, and waved absent-mindedly to Ino without turning around. He heard footsteps fading, then, a new pair racing toward him.

"Iruka?" An out-of-breath, but always familiar voice asked from behind.

"Kakashi?" Iruka looked up, and saw the silver-haired boy bent over behind him, catching his breath.

"I found you." Kakashi breathed, sounding almost…relieved.

"Me? Shouldn't you be looking for your girlfriend?" Iruka scoffed, then scowled, "She's certainly looking for you."

"_Ino_ is _not_ my girlfriend." Kakashi shook his head, disgust evident in his voice, "I don't like girls."

"Thank you for sharing that wonderful discovery with me. I care because…?" Iruka glared.

"Look, Iruka, I know we, like, argue, and stuff, but…I mean, I don't...y'know, I don't _mean _it or anything, and you really-" Kakashi tried to explain. He failed epically.

"You don't _mean _it?!" Iruka hissed. Kakashi gulped, instantly recognizing the signs. "So, you mean you didn't _mean _it when you called me weak?! You didn't _mean _it when you teased me?! You didn't _mean _it when you humiliated me in front of my students and peers?!"

"Iruka, wait, listen, I-"

But Iruka wouldn't listen. He was more hurt and angry than Kakashi had ever seen him, and that was really saying something. Iruka stood up now, and Kakashi did too.

"No, _you _listen! You mean you didn't _mean it _when you…when you…" Iruka's breath hitched, and he gave Kakashi a glare that froze him to the core. Iruka's voice dropped low, and took on a tone Kakashi couldn't recognize, "You said you _hated_ me. And you were just screwing around. You didn't _mean _it. It was just to mess with me. Well guess what, you bastard? It worked, okay? It worked. I was so fucking confused I could barely see straight! One minute I loved that I was the only one that could get under your stupid stony exterior, the next I was pissed that you were calling me names, the next I was freaking out because you didn't even _know _what you were doing to me when you pinned me, or when we're wrestling…kami! And it was fine. I was damn fine with it because, well, because it was _you. _Then you had to go and say that. And now, I _do _know what I think. I know I want you to go away. Just go away, and leave me alone, alright? Think you can deal with that, oh great Copy Nin?" Iruka sneered, but Kakashi could see the pain behind it.

"No. I don't think I can." Kakashi gave a small, sad smile. Iruka blinked, stopped in his tracks. "I don't think I can deal without you."

"_Shut up!_" Iruka hissed, "I told you to stop messing with me! It's not funny, damnit!"

"I'm not messing around, Iruka. I know I'm stupid, I know I've got to be the most fucked up emotional retard in the world, and I know it took a damn long time, but I get it. I finally, _finally _get it. I get why I can't leave you alone. I get why I can't get my mind off you. I need you, Iruka. I…"

Kakashi paused for a brief moment; but the look of shock and confusion on adorable twelve-year-old Iruka's face gave him the courage to push on. For once in his life, he wouldn't be hiding anymore. No masks, no excuses, no lies. Pure and simple truth. Of all the things he'd said and done in his life this would mean the most…to him, and hopefully to Iruka.

"I love you, Iruka."


	9. Chapter 9

There was a pause.

It was the longest damn pause in Kakashi's whole life, but he didn't rush it. He made himself sit and watch the emotions play across Iruka's face. Suddenly, he wasn't watching Iruka anymore. Iruka was close.

Iruka tugged down Kakashi's mask and pressed a chaste kiss to his pale lips. Kakashi raised his hands to Iruka's face, cupping it gently, and Iruka let his hands fall on Kakashi's chest. After a moment, Kakashi bit down lightly on Iruka's bottom lip, asking for entrance. Iruka immediately shoved him away like he was on fire.

"We can't."

Kakashi blinked. He'd thought it went well…until Iruka shoved him away, that is. And he was about to say that when Iruka continued.

"We're _twelve. _It's _weird!_" Iruka shuddered, and Kakashi was so relieved he wanted to laugh. So he did.

"Aw…that's it?" Kakashi laughed.

"What do you mean 'that's it'? It's _weird! _I'm not going to make out with a twelve year old!" Iruka protested indignantly.

"So does that mean that when we're older again, you'll have no issues?" Kakashi grinned seductively, moving in closer. The effect was somewhat lost on his child-like face.

"…shut up." Iruka blushed, and Kakashi thought absent-mindedly that if his face got any redder it was going to explode.

"Is that a yes?" Kakashi drawled, but even he, with his super-Copy-Nin-stoicism powers, couldn't keep the grin off his face.

"…might be." Iruka was also failing to keep the grin off his face. Kakashi took Iruka's hand in his.

"Then I think we have a Hokage to find, ne?"

"We can't just ditch school!"

"…we're going to be 28 in a couple of minutes. I really don't think anyone will mind." Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"Well, we're not _now. _Come on." Iruka tugged Kakashi in the opposite direction, back towards the school. Kakashi glanced at Iruka's in his, at hazel eyes looking into his, at tan lips smiling at him, and found that he didn't really mind.

"Sure." Kakashi smiled, and let himself be tugged along.

The duo jumped off the roof together, landing silently on the ground below. They were about to turn the corner back to the courtyard with the rest of the kids, when Iruka dropped his hand suddenly.

"They think we're brothers." Iruka remembered with a frown.

"And that we hate each other." Kakashi pointed out.

"I don't want to get in a fight…" Iruka pouted. Kakashi took one look at the adorable pout on Iruka's face and resisted the urge to…well, let's just say he resisted very powerful urges. Then, it dawned on him.

"I do." Kakashi grinned.

"What?" Iruka quirked his head.

"Trust me." Kakashi smirked, then took the lead into the courtyard.

Iruka blinked, then shrugged, and trusted Kakashi. He followed the sliver-haired boy into the courtyard, and they sat down among Kiba, Shino, Choji, and Neji. This time, they noticed that Shikamaru was sitting in the tree above them. Shikamaru shot a smirk down at Kakashi, who returned it.

They were seated in a half circle. Neji was the farthest, and on his right was Choji, to Choji's right Shino, and to Shino's right was Kiba. Iruka sat down next to Kiba, and Kakashi a seat next to Iruka.

"Hey hey! It's the infamous duo! I saw your guys little duel, you were pretty awesome, Iruka!" Kiba congratulated, "You'll whoop his ass next time!"

"Thanks…but I don't think we'll be fighting again anytime soon." Iruka gave a small smile to Kakashi.

"Tch. Says you." Kakashi lifted his chin and crossed his arms. Iruka looked a little confused, but was smart enough to play along.

"Whatever, moron." Iruka stuck out his tongue, then looked the other way.  
"Don't let him get to ya, Iruka! I'll back you up any day…" Kiba grinned, leaning in closer to Iruka.

"Thanks but no thanks, Kiba…" Iruka leaned away, bumping shoulders with Kakashi, who resisted the urge to wrap _his _chunnin up in his arms and hold him away from Kiba. He settled for a threat.

"Can it, dogbreath." Kakashi growled.

"Make me, fluffy!" Kiba snarled back.

"Anytime, anywhere, mutt!"

"I'll take you right now, unless you're too _chicken, _puff-head!"

"Guys, stop!" Iruka intervened, pushing the boys away from each other, which was exactly what Kakashi had been waiting for. He was glad his mask concealed his smirk.

"Lay off, Iruka!" Kakashi shoved Iruka, whose confusion changed to anger.

"Hey! Watch it, dumbass!" Iruka glared.

"Make me, loser!" Kakashi stood, and Iruka was quick to follow.  
"Watch me!"  
"Just try it!" Kakashi tackled Iruka, and the duo rolled on the ground.

They'd wrestled a million and one times before, but this was…different. Kakashi didn't seem to be trying to pin Iruka, so Iruka pinned him easily. But when he did, instead of trying to escape like usual, Kakashi wiggled underneath him with a slight smirk, causing very interesting feelings in Iruka's lower abdomen. Iruka suddenly understood Kakashi's plan.

Kakashi flipped Iruka over, this time pinning Iruka so that his hands were above his head. They were now chest to chest, and every time Kakashi breathed in, Iruka could feel the Jounin's abs brush his like a feather. Iruka shivered with pleasure, and Kakashi grinned like a cat.

"Gaki Kakashi, you stop that this instant!" A voice shrieked. Akemi snatched Kakashi by the back of the shirt and hauled him off Iruka. Kakashi pouted, and Iruka frowned, wondering if their little charade had been found out. Then Akemi continued, "You two are going to kill each other if you keep this up! I want no more fighting from you two, you hear me?!"

Apparently not.

"Yes sensei." They both recited, swapping devious smirks when Akemi looked away.

_Briiiiiiiiiiiiing!_

"Lunch is over! I want both of you back in your seats with your mouths shut by the time I count to five, or you'll be in detention until your _kids _are in my class, you hear me?!" Akemi threatened, shoving them both in the direction of the classroom.

"She's nowhere near as creative as you." Kakashi rolled his eyes.  
"I'll take that as a compliment." Iruka smirked.

They took their seats, and within moments, class was underway.

Every few moments, Akemi would shoot the duo a suspicious look, and receive two innocent glazes in return. However, the instant she turned her back or looked away, they would snicker like madmen. While Akemi lectured on chakra control and how you can use it to walk on surfaces, Iruka felt rustle in his palm. He held it open to reveal a piece of binder paper. Unfolding the sheet (where had Kakashi gotten that anyway?) Iruka smiled as he read the note.

_Hey!_

_C'mon, let's get outta here and find Tsunade. Akemi will forgive you once you're back to normal anyway._

_**I'm not ditching class. I'm a teacher, for kami's sake. What kind of example would that set?**_

_Don't think of it as ditching…think of it as a…self-approved field trip._

_**And do I want my students going off on little 'self-approved field trips'? I think not.**_

_Okay, fine. How about a Kakashi-approved field trip? I think those would be pretty hard to come by for your little pre-genin._

_**How about not?**_

_Stealth training?_

_**No.**_

_Mission practice?_

_**Try again.**_

_Challenging authority?_

_**Denied.**_

_Reporting-to-the-Hokage practice?_

_**...what?**_

_I dunno. I ran out of ideas._

_**Paying attention isn't an option, of course?**_

_Nope._

_**Always have to be a bad influence, don't you…**_

_Naturally. =)_

…**_call it 'following orders'. In about 3 minutes she's going to turn her back to draw a body and the chakra flowing through it. That'll take her a good minute at least; make a break for it then. You're gonna want to go out the window, drop to the bushes below, and stay there until _after _she comes out, checks out the area, and goes back inside._**

_Why, sensei…and here I thought you were such a goody-two-shoes…_

_**I was a prankster once; I know all the tricks.**_

_And we can't just poof away when she's not looking because…?_

_**No chakra, remember?**_

_Oh. Right. Window it is. And the brats won't rat us out?_

_**Never! If they have one thing, it's loyalty. They've never once told me when Naruto or Kiba tried to sneak out, and I highly doubt they'll do it to us.**_

…_wait, can't she just sense our chakra, realize we're in the bush, then drag us back in here by force?_

_**No.**_

_And…why not?_

_**Don't ask.**_

…_you're only making me more curious._

_**I don't care.**_

…

_**You'll laugh.**_

_I won't._

**_This was the same classroom I was in when I was at the Academy._ _I learned a low-level chakra-block barrier from one of my dad's old scrolls, and used it on the bush outside the window when I was a kid so I could sneak out of class._**

_I think I'm beginning to see you in a new light, sensei…not that I should be that surprised, after all the pranks you've pulled on me._

_**Yeah, well. C'mon, let's go!**_

Akemi turned around at that exact moment, and Kakashi and Iruka shared a glance before silently getting out of their seats and climbing out the window. Iruka gave the class a grin, and held a finger to his lips. The kids grinned back and nodded. Akemi didn't seem to notice; Kakashi was the first out the window, and he gracefully dropped to the bush below. Iruka tumbled out after him, and he landed on Kakashi' stomach, earning an "_oof!_"of surprise from the silver-haired kid.

Iruka was about to move off with an embarrassed apology when the side door opened and they heard Akemi curse about 'damn brothers plotting her early demise'. Iruka froze, and Kakashi just smiled up at the tan kid on his stomach, admiring the view.

Akemi looked around for a moment before giving up and heading back inside. Iruka let out a relieved breath, and made to get off Kakashi once again, but Kakashi grabbed his wrist.

"…?" Iruka raised an eyebrow, which Kakashi answered by tugging Iruka down and capturing the chunnin's lips with his in a chaste kiss.

"You're really too cute for your own good." Kakashi smirked when they parted.

"You're too _perverted._" Iruka retorted with a blush, standing up. "C'mon. Let's go see the Hokage."

"Iruka! Kakashi!" A voice whispered through the window above them.

Both boys jumped. Iruka glanced up at the open window; Kiba and Ino peeked out.

"Heya Iruka! How's it hangin'?" Kiba squeezed out through the gap, and Ino was quick to follow.

"Hi Kakashi! I didn't see you _all _lunch, where'd you _go?_" Ino whined, landing on the ground softly beside him. She smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Get down!" Iruka hissed, ducking under the bushes, and grabbing Kakashi, Kiba and Ino as well.

Akemi reappeared in the doorway. She stepped outside, and walked around the outside area suspiciously.

"I know you're here…you can't have gotten far…" Akemi muttered to herself.

After a few frozen moments, Akemi gave up and walked back inside.

"Phew! That was a close one, huh Kakashi-kun?" Ino sighed, nuzzling Kakashi's shoulder. Iruka tried not to scowl. They'd be back to normal soon…

"Yeah…good thing I kept us safe, huh Iruka-kun?" Kiba grinned proudly at Iruka.

"You didn't _do _anything, dogbreath." Kakashi growled.

"Shut up, puff-ball!" Kiba growled back.

"Guys! Let's just get out of here, alright?" Iruka grumbled, shooting a reluctant look at Ino. Why'd _she _have to come along?  
"Yeah! C'mon Kakashi-kun!" Ino sang, grabbing Kakashi by the arm and tugging.

The foursome snuck out of the bush and circled the Academy. When they were a good distance away, Kiba finally spoke up.

"So where you guys headed anyway?"

"Uh…" Kakashi and Iruka shared a glance.

"We were…uh, just gonna head home." Iruka lied.

"I got bored of school." Kakashi said truthfully.

"And I couldn't let him go home by himself, could I?" Iruka shrugged.

"Cool! I wanna see Kakashi-kun's house!" Ino squealed. Iruka frowned.

"Yeah…I wanna see your room." Kiba told Iruka suggestively, waggling his eyebrows.

"Hey! Lay off him, dogbreath!" Kakashi swung an arm over Iruka's shoulder, and held him protectively against his chest. Iruka blushed, but did nothing else to dissuade the sudden possessiveness.

"Shut up, fluffy! Let your brother have a little fun sometimes, eh?" Kiba waved Kakashi off, and moved to pull Iruka away from Kakashi, but the silver-haired boy would have none of it.

"You can bet your ass I'm not letting him have any fun with _you, _mutt." Kakashi growled.

"Oh, c'mon Kakashi-kun, let Kiba have your brother…while they're busy you and I can have some fun of our own, yeah?" Ino grinned.

"Hey, he's mine!" Iruka scowled, holding tightly to Kakashi's arm around him.

"He's 'yours'? You guys are a little close, don'tcha think?" Kiba raised an eyebrow.

Kakashi and Iruka exchanged glances.

Shit.

"Well…truth be told we're not brothers." Iruka admitted.

"_What?_" Ino exclaimed.

"Aw, shit, I knew it!" Kiba howled, "He had your scent all over him!"

"He had my _what_?" Iruka asked.

"Your scent! He had all those pheromone things Ma was talking about…damn it, no fair, fluffy! I called him!" Kiba whined.

"Yeah, well, all's fair in love and war." Kakashi stuck out his tongue.

"All's fair, huh?" Kiba smirked. That was all the warning Iruka had before Kiba grabbed his wrist and yanked.

Iruka was pulled close to Kiba, and their lips _almost _collided. Instead, Iruka used his other hand to punch Kiba in the stomach. The boy doubled over with a loud moan, and Iruka pulled back with a mumbled, half-hearted 'sorry'.

"Glad you didn't do that when I kissed you." Kakashi grinned widely, and was about to move closer to Iruka when Ino finally spoke up with a screech.

"You _kissed _him! You _bastard!_" Ino shrieked, and moved forward to slap Iruka.

Iruka shut his eyes, waiting for the hit. Yeah, he could've stopped it, but he figured they _had _sort of messed with the kids. Besides, how hard could the little girl hit? He never found out. When he opened his eyes, all he saw was Kakashi's back.

Kakashi had grabbed Ino by the wrist, and had it in what was known as the shinobi's grip; iron-tight and inescapable, but wouldn't leave a mark. However, anyone could see that Kakashi was debating leaving a lot more than a bruise. His visible eye was narrowed, and his voice was low and dangerous.

"Don't. You. _Dare._" Was all Kakashi said, but it sufficiently scared the shit out of the Yamanaka, and Kiba's eyes widened as well.  
"…maybe we should just go home, Ino." Kiba said in a quiet, scared voice.

"…y-yeah." Ino stuttered. Kakashi released the girl's wrist, and they both took off.

"What, no thank you?" Kakashi turned to smirk at Iruka.

"Oh, very impressive. You stopped a twelve-year-old's shot, and managed to scare them. You're just amazing, aren't you?" Iruka rolled his eyes with a smile.

"You know it." Kakashi winked, "Don't heroes usually get a kiss?"

"Haven't heroes usually hit puberty?"

"Touché."

~.~.~.~.~

"I told you I'm not gonna change you back until you two worked things out!" Tsunade yelled.

"And I told _you _we did!" Kakashi yelled back.

"Yeah, well I'm saying I don't believe you!"

Iruka sighed.

It'd been like this for almost ten minutes now, Kakashi and Tsunade arguing back and forth about a point neither could prove. One said they had worked things out, the other saying they didn't believe them.  
"You could just trust me!"

"Oh, yeah _right_!"

"Well, what do you want _me_ to do?!"  
"Prove it!"

"How?!"

"I don't know!" Tsunade threw her hands up.

Iruka sighed. This was getting really boring. He crossed the room to where Kakashi was standing, about to fire back a retort, and instead covered Kakashi's mouth with his in passionate kiss. After a moment, Iruka released Kakashi and planted his hands on Tsunade's desk.

"We've obviously made up. We've obviously…uh, matured." Iruka blushed.

"Oh _hell _we have…" Kakashi murmured with a dazed smile.

"_Anyway._" Iruka shot a half-hearted glare at the smiley Copy Nin, "We fulfilled the conditions. Why haven't we changed back?"

"…hot _damn _Iruka…" Tsunade smirked, looking the child up and down.

"Hey!" Kakashi snapped out of his Iruka-induced daze, looking between Iruka and Tsunade with a pout. He then swung an arm over Iruka and pointed at the tan child, "Mine!"

"Alright, alright, I believe you." Tsunade admitted, smirking Kakashi's protective display. "I'll change you back."

"I thought you said we'd change back on our own." Iruka's eyes narrowed.

"I lied." Tsunade shrugged, then smirked, "What, you think I was going to risk having _you two _free to destroy the village again? You guys were probably worse than the Kyuubi! Iruka, you stand there. Kakashi, you stand there. Hold still, or who knows how you'll grow up." Tsunade instructed with a wink. Kakashi rolled his eyes and kept his usual slouch. Iruka elbowed him though, and he stood straight.

Tsunade made rapid signs, and the duo felt themselves stretching out.

"You can open your eyes now." Tsunade smirked, and noted with a slight grin that instead of looking at themselves first, they looked at each other.

Kakashi looked at Iruka, and couldn't help but think he was the luckiest guy on earth. He moved forward, and pulled his chunnin into a sensual kiss…

"KEEP IT OUTTA MY OFFICE YOU TWO!" Tsunade roared, and booted them out the window. Kakashi landed first, and made it a point to catch Iruka, who just blushed and mumbled something about being a perfectly capable shinobi thank-you-very-much.

"You could have let us go out the door ya know!" Kakashi yelled up at Tsunade.

"You're the one always climbing in the window anyway." Tsunade grumbled, shutting her window with a slam.

"Moody old hag…"

"I HEARD THAT!"

~Omake: How Kakashi Got Paper~

"Psst." Kakashi whispered to the student next to him. Not Iruka, but the one on the other side, the black-haired kid who liked the blonde boy and wanted to kill his brother. Well, according to Iruka.

"…" Not-Iruka blatantly ignored him.

"Pssssst."

"…"

"Hey, emo bunny!" Kakashi accompanied this statement with a kick to the kids shin.

"Fuck, ow! The hell did you just call me?" Not-Iruka glared, while rubbing his bruised shin.

"…uh, Sasuke, right?" Kakashi sweatdropped.

"…tch. Yeah."

"Gimme some paper." Kakashi demanded.

"Hell no." Sasuke snorted, shuffling his notebook to the other side of his desk.

"I need it!" Kakashi pressed.  
"Do I look like I care?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"…no." Kakashi admitted, "But give me some anyway."

"No." Sasuke insisted, and turned to try and pay attention to the teacher.

"Give me some paper, or I'll set you on fire."

"…what the hell?" Sasuke gaped. Well, as much as Uchiha Sasuke could gape, that is.

"You think I don't know Goukakyuu no Jutsu? I do. And if you don't give me paper, I'll set you on fire." Kakashi threatened.

"…you don't get along very well with other kids, do you?" Sasuke deadpanned.

"Yeah, well. The consequences of skipping school and becoming a soldier at 6." Kakashi shrugged.

"…"

"Forget I ever said that."

"Honestly, I'm trying to forget I ever met you."

"Good to know. Now gimme some paper before I set you on fire." Kakashi smiled sweetly.

"The weird thing is, I think you'd do it…" Sasuke sighed.

"Dragon, tiger, monkey…" Kakashi began, humming the signs out.

"Here's the damn paper! Just leave me alone!" Sasuke hastily ripped out a piece of binder paper and shoved it in Kakashi's direction.

This is how Sasuke and Kakashi first bonded, and why Sasuke was in such a pissy mood the day he found out who his Jounin instructor would be. Well, pissier than normal, that is. One can never tell with an Uchiha.


	10. Chapter 10

"…so we were never really kids in your class, it was just a jutsu." Iruka finished explaining to his class.

He had put off returning to teaching for a while, anxious about the kids reactions, but had finally decided that he had to go back eventually. He had also decided that the best way to go about explaining why they suddenly remembered two new kids and a different teacher was to haul Kakashi into his class and have him help explain the situation.

He should have known it was a bad idea; it had the words 'Kakashi' and 'class' in it.

So far, all Kakashi had done was tease him endlessly, harassing him about the details of their rooftop escapade and what exactly had happened up there. Iruka insisted nothing had happened-it was really none of his students business who he had kissed-but Kakashi was determined to out him. There had also been the occasional grope attempt, but that had been quickly ended when Iruka had nearly sliced Kakashi's hand off with a swipe of his ruler. Kakashi was not apt to try again anytime soon…well, in the classroom anyway.

Naruto was the first to recover from the shock, and his loud voice broke through Iruka's thoughts.

"Duuuuude…that was like the ultimate prank! That was awesome, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto cheered.

Ino and Kiba shared a glance of understanding, realizing why Kakashi had been so skilled. Choji looked at the duo quizzically before shrugging, and returning to his chips. Shino examined them, before nodded to himself. He'd known something was off about them. Sasuke's eyes bugged out of his head.

"You!"

"Oh, hey, it's you." Kakashi quirked his head, remembering the little kid he'd borrowed paper from. "Thanks for the paper."

"Thanks for the-?! You tried to set me on fire!"

Iruka's eyebrows shot up.

"I didn't _try, _I _threatened. _There's a difference." Kakashi pointed out.

"You _what?_" Iruka hissed.

"I wouldn't have actually _done _it…" Kakashi backed away with his hands up, hastily trying to salvage the situation. The students watched in amusement.

"But you still '_threatened' _to set one of my _twelve-year-old students _on _fire?_"

"Well, I suppose you could look at it that way, but…I _really _needed to pass you a note!" Kakashi finished lamely.

"So you threatened to set him on _fire_? How the _hell _did you _ever _make friends?" Iruka asked in amazement.

"Through my wonderful charm and good humor?"

"If your sense of humor is setting people on fire, then that's not it." Iruka snorted.

"So you admit I have charm?" Kakashi grinned.

"I'm marrying you, aren't I?"

"_What?_" The class echoed. Chaos was immediate.

"WHAT?! Iruka-sensei, you can't marry him, he's almost as bad as Sasuke-teme!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Shut up, dobe!" Sasuke growled in reaction, then spoke to Iruka with a glare at Kakashi, "Why would you want to marry _him? _He's a paper thief!"  
"Aw, damn it fluffy! Can't you at least wait until I have a fair chance?!" Kiba scowled at Kakashi.

"Not cool, Iruka-sensei! You stole my Kashi-kun!" Ino yelped indignantly. Sakura chimed in agreement about her Iruka.

"Calm down, all of you." Iruka tried to calm them down.

He failed. The chaos continued, the children arguing amongst themselves. They all seemed to have the opinion that one didn't deserve the other, and were all yelling at each other about who didn't deserve who and why.

"Eh, well, at least if they know about us, I can do this…" Kakashi grinned wolfishly. He wrapped his arms securely around Iruka's waist, dipped his chunnin low, and kissed him movie-star style. When they came up for air, Iruka shoved Kakashi lightly.

"I told you not to do that! I'm not a girl!" Iruka complained, blushing profusely. Then he caught sight of the class, and he went pale.

Every last one of them was staring. The girls, Ino, Sakura, and even Hinata were staring in wide-eyed amazement. Hinata even had a nosebleed. Shino's glasses had slipped in his surprise, Kiba's mouth was hanging open so wide you could probably see the inside of his lungs, and Choji had dropped his bag of chips and not made any move to pick them up.

Sasuke was trying to look uninterested, but couldn't quite manage to wipe the look of curiosity off his face. He glanced at Naruto for the briefest of seconds. Naruto was devastated; he was gaping, and his eyes were wide. Then, he frowned in concentration for a moment, and glanced at Sasuke curiously. Their eyes met, and they abruptly turned away.

"About damn time…" Shikamaru grouched, "So troublesome…"

Despite his gruff words, there was hint of a smirk on his face as he drifted back off to sleep.


End file.
